Trump says there will be ‘NO THIRD DEBATE’ in social media rant
Trump faced off against Harris for the first – and last – time on Tuesday night
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has revealed he will not participate in a third presidential debate this election cycle.
Trump declared, “THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE” in a Thursday afternoon post on his social media platform Truth Social.
“When a prizefighter loses a fight, the first words out of his mouth are, ‘I WANT A REMATCH,’” Trump wrote. “Polls clearly show that I won the Debate against Comrade Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ Radical Left Candidate, on Tuesday night, and she immediately called for a Second Debate.”
“KAMALA SHOULD FOCUS ON WHAT SHE SHOULD HAVE DONE DURING THE LAST ALMOST FOUR YEAR PERIOD,” he added. “THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!”
Harris, meanwhile, called for a second round during a North Carolina campaign rally on Thursday afternoon: “We owe it to the voters to have another debate.”
Trump’s decision comes two days after he faced Harris in their first debate on Tuesday night.
On Wednesday, Trump took to Truth Social insisting he won the face-off.
“People are just starting to give me credit for having a GREAT DEBATE,” he wrote. “The Voters and Voter Polls showed it, but the Fake News Media wasn’t giving the credit that was due. Now they are seeing the results with independent Voters, Evangelicals, and more – and saying, WOW!”
However, according to a CNN flash poll, 63 percent of registered voters who tuned in believe Harris “won.”
Those in Harris’s circle are already reacting to the news. “At long last we discover his spirit animal. The Chicken,” David Plouffe, a senior adviser for Harris’s campaign, wrote on X.
This isn’t the first time Trump has lashed out in the 48 hours since his debate with Harris. Just hours after their face-off, Trump called into Fox News to say ABC News should have their broadcast license revoked over the debate.
The former president is likely referring to the moderators’ fact-checking throughout the debate.
Moderator Linsey Davis called out Trump’s baseless claim that Democrats want to legalize killing babies. When Trump made reference to his racist conspiracy theory that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio are eating pets, moderator David Muir noted that city officials have debunked the claim.
Trump had previously challenged President Joe Biden to a second debate after their chaotic show-down earlier this summer.
“I’m offering Joe the chance to redeem himself in front of the entire world,” the former president said after their June debate.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments