Donald Trump and Kamala Harris successfully debated—or at least insulted one another in real time—earlier this week. But the former president has declared he will not participate in another event before the election, despite his previous goading that his rival take the stage.
The two presidential nominees joined moderators in a closed-door studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Tuesday September 10. Though presidential debates are designed to help voters learn more about their options for the upcoming election—primarily through productive discussion and debate on policy—Trump and Harris took the more modern route of attacking one another rather than defending their own views.
And afterwards, the GOP nominee wrote in a lengthy Truth Social post (in his signature, all capital letters prose) that “there will be no third debate.” He was including his June 2024 debate with President Joe Biden as the first in the 2024 election cycle. Trump added that the “first words” uttered by a “prize fighter” who “loses a fight” are “I want a rematch.”
But the controversial Republican insisted that he won the debate and that there is no need to take the stage again against his rival. Later, he said when stopping along the campaign trail in Tucson, Arizona, that the two debates which have already occurred “were successful,” leaving him uninterested in a third. He also said that “voting has already begun” and that makes it “too late” to schedule a third debate.
Harris, on the other hand, said at a North Carolina rally after the debate—and following up to Trump’s post—that she is up for round two. Specifically, she maintained that she thought the nominees “owe[d] it to the voters” to debate again before Election Day.
Despite his defiant claims to victory, initial polls conducted by news agencies after the debate indicate that most voters expressed that Harris had presented herself better than Trump did. Most people seemed to agree that the vice president was in a better position throughout the debate, leaving her opponent continuously defending himself.
63% thought Harris performed better while only 37% said the same of Trump, according to one survey. Before the debate took place, the same sample reported 50% confidence that Harris would win and 50% thought Trump would win. Almost 100% of Harris’ supporters thought she performed better while only 69% of Trump fans said he did.
The debate itself covered a number of high-priority issues that have voters concerned with the election right around the corner, including abortion, environmental issues, and immigration and border security. Harris took the route of saying she is here to solve problems and likened her opponent to a dictator who was letting down his fans. Trump, on the other hand, maintained his theme of accusing Harris of being a radical leftist who was opening the country’s borders to considerable danger and crime.
Harris was also called out on her inconsistency with policy stances that have shifted since her candidacy in 2020 for the presidential primary. These issues include the requirement to buy back semiautomatic firearms, a ban on fracking, and eliminating the criminalization of illegal border crossings. The Democrat has assured voters, however, that her “values have not changed.”
