Former President Donald Trump said he’s unsure if he wants to debate Vice President Kamala Harris again, hours after their faceoff on ABC News, which he called “rigged” and claimed he “won” in an appearance on Fox News Wednesday morning.
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a presidential debate with US Vice President Kamala ... [+]
Trump accused ABC News of treating Harris favorably, telling Fox “it was three-to-one, it was a rigged deal,” referring to the two moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, claiming they disproportionately fact-checked him.
Claiming he “won” Tuesday’s debate, Trump said he’s “not inclined” to do another.
Trump said if he does participate in a second debate, he prefers it be hosted by Fox News, but he wouldn’t want the network’s news anchors Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier to host because of their critical coverage of his performance Tuesday.
Fox has already offered to host a second presidential debate hosted by MacCallum and Baier in October, and NBC has proposed a debate for later this month.
The statement contradicts Trump adviser Jason Miller’s statement on CNN Wednesday, just after Trump appeared on Fox, suggesting Trump would participate in a second debate: “The onus here is on Kamala Harris to . . . show up.”
The Harris campaign has already floated the possibility of a second debate, writing in a fundraising email Tuesday night “Vice President Harris is ready for a second debate. Is Donald Trump?”
Harris and Trump both attended the Sept. 11 memorial services in New York City Wednesday, where they shook hands and had a brief and seemingly cordial verbal exchange. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who donated to former President Joe Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign, stood between Trump and Biden during the ceremony.
Harris surged ahead in presidential betting markets in the wake of Tuesday’s contest, with her chances of winning the election rising by more than four-and-a-half points in the 24 hours, while Trump’s decreased by four, according to the Election Betting Odds tracker.
Trump and Harris met in person for the first time Tuesday in the 90-minute debate hosted by ABC News from Philadelphia, what was widely considered the most important night of the 2024 campaign. The two sparred over the economy, abortion the wars in Ukraine and Israel, and Harris repeatedly took shots at Trump, while he sought to remind voters of her ties to Biden. Harris’ debate performance was widely lauded by pundits, with many praising her ability to successfully needle Trump, prompting him to spend valuable air time angrily defending himself—a widely expected strategy intended to expose Trump’s tendency for outbursts. She jabbed at him over the size of his rally crowds, told him he was fired by “81 million people” in 2020 and said world leaders don’t respect him, calling him a “disgrace” and “weak.”
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