Former President Donald Trump questioned the logic behind doing a second debate with Vice President Kamala Harris after he claimed “she was beaten badly” during their first encounter Tuesday.
The Harris campaign requested a second debate immediately after the pair’s debut encounter ended in Philadelphia on Tuesday evening. Trump cast doubts on acceding to the request the following day.
“She was beaten badly last night,” Trump claimed in a post to Truth Social. “Every Poll has us WINNING, in one case, 92-8, so why would I do a Rematch?”
The former president, who frequents boxing and mixed martial arts competitions, used a sports analogy to explain why Harris wanted a second opportunity to face off.
“In the World of Boxing or UFC, when a Fighter gets beaten or knocked out, they get up and scream, ‘I DEMAND A REMATCH, I DEMAND A REMATCH!’ Well, it’s no different with a Debate,” Trump declared.
Two major post-debate surveys indicated voters favored Harris as the winner. However, a series of polls conducted by media outlets and proudly celebrated by Trump showed the former president won the debate.
Harris campaign chairwoman Jen O’Malley Dillon requested Trump to accept a second debate in October on Tuesday evening. Speaking to reporters the same evening in the debate spin room, the former president said he would “think about that.” His words came as Trump allies, including Vivek Ramaswamy and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), have urged him to accept, saying it would be “good for the country.
Former Clinton adviser Doug Schoen doubted Trump would agree to the Harris campaign’s wishes for a “rematch,” arguing in a Fox News op-ed that the former president had been burned by the ABC debate that was “hardly fair.”
Conservatives held resounding condemnation for ABC debate moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis. arguing their questions and frequent fact-checking showed a clear bias in favor of Harris.
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While he served in a Democratic administration, Schoen agreed with GOP concerns that Harris “was aided and abetted by two ABC News moderators who seemingly felt the need to fact-check virtually everything the former president said.”
Although an October debate between Harris and Trump remains up in the air, their running mates are set to face off next month. Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) will participate in a vice presidential debate on Oct. 1 in New York City.