WASHINGTON: Donald Trump ruled out a second US presidential debate with rival Kamala Harris on Wednesday (Oct 9), hours after Fox News offered to host a candidate showdown later this month before election day on Nov 5.
The Republican ex-president and Democratic vice president, locked in an excruciatingly close White House battle, have faced off just once, in September, and despite suggestions by multiple news outlets, it appears they will not meet again before the vote.
“It is very late in the process, (early) voting has already begun – there will be no rematch!” Trump said in an all-caps post on his Truth Social media platform, nixing the possibility of a follow-up to the candidates’ first debate in Philadelphia.
“Kamala stated clearly, yesterday, that she would not do anything different than Joe Biden, so there is nothing to debate,” Trump added.
Harris had previously challenged Trump to a debate hosted by CNN on Oct 23, but the former president declined.
Trump also said that Harris, who became the Democratic nominee after President Biden ended his reelection bid following his disastrous debate with Trump, had backed out of a previous debate offered by Fox, although the Harris campaign had not publicly accepted the proposal.
