Trump rejects Harris’ call for debate in October

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump on Saturday (September 21) rejected a second debate against Kamala Harris before the November 5 election, saying it was “too late” with early voting already underway in some states.

Harris’ campaign team had previously announced that she had accepted an invitation from CNN to take part in a debate on October 23. It would have been the second debate between the two candidates, following the September 10 clash, which most experts believe she won.

“The American people deserve another opportunity to watch the debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump before they cast their vote,” her campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a statement.

“I hope (Trump) will join me,” Harris posted on X.

Trump said during a campaign rally in the swing state of North Carolina that he would like to take part in a debate and called it “entertaining.” But with the start of early voting in some states, this idea ran out of steam.

“It’s just too late, the voting has already started,” he said.

Speaking to a large and enthusiastic crowd of his supporters, he added that while CNN had been “very fair” in his debate with President Joe Biden in June, “it will not be fair again.”

Vice President Harris replaced her boss at the top of the Democratic ticket after 81-year-old Biden’s disastrous performance against Trump.

After dropping out of the race, 78-year-old Trump is now the oldest presidential candidate and will face the much younger 59-year-old Harris.