Donald Trump Declines Further Presidential Debates

Donald Trump is scheduled to be at Trump National Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, for a news conference soon.

He is holding the event one day after announcing that he will not participate in another presidential debate.

Moments after the former president’s comments, Kamala Harris’s campaign issued a statement saying “we owe it to the voters to have another debate”.

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have been on the campaign trail for the first time since they faced-off on ABC News.

Polls suggest that most voters believe Harris won the debate, though Donald Trump claimed victory in his announcement that he would not debate her again.

There are just over 50 days until the US presidential election.

Donald Trump said on September 12 – two days after the pair’s first showdown in Philadelphia – that Kamala Harris only wanted a rematch because he “clearly” won.

Several instant polls taken after September 10 contest indicated voters felt Kamala Harris had performed better than her Republican opponent.

Donald Trump added that Kamala Harris should instead “focus” on her job as vice-president.

Shortly after, at a campaign rally in North Carolina, Kamala Harris responded by saying they “owe” voters another debate because “what is at stake could not be more important”.

Polls suggest the two candidates are in an extremely tight race with just two months to go before the election.

Both claimed victory after the 90-minute debate on ABC News, in which Kamala Harris rattled Donald Trump with a string of personal attacks that put him on the defensive. These included comments about the size of his rally crowds and his conduct during the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol.

Donald Trump and his supporters have since accused the two ABC journalists that moderated the debate of being unfair and biased in favour of Kamala Harris.

“When a prizefighter loses a fight, the first words out of his mouth are ‘I want a rematch’,” Donald Trump wrote in a lengthy Truth Social post on September 12.

“Polls clearly show that I won the debate against comrade Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ radical left candidate… and she immediately called for a second debate,” he added.

Donald Trump held a rally in Arizona on September 12 and gave an interview with Telemundo Arizona backstage.

“We just don’t think it’s necessary,” he said of a second debate with Kamala Harris.

“We think we’ve discussed everything and I don’t think they want it either.”

The Harris campaign, however, called for a second debate immediately after Philadelphia.

“Vice-President Harris is ready for a second debate. Is Donald Trump?” the campaign said.

Speaking after the debate, various Trump campaign surrogates – including Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz – said they believed Donald Trump would welcome another debate.

Both campaigns had reportedly been in discussions over a debate on NBC News on September 25.