US Republican presidential candiate Donald Trump has ruled out another presidential debate against Kamala Harris after she saw a rise in her ratings with a stellar performance.
Trump's move comes after Harris campaign declared that it had raised $47 million in funds from nearly 600,000 donors in 24 hours following her debate with Trump. Campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon said the massive fundraising haul echoes the sentiments of Americans who are leaning towards Harris now.
Irked by his own dismal performance in the debate, the former US president posted on his social media platform, Truth Social: “THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!” Trump, however, claimed that he was the winner of the debate, saying, "when a prizefighter loses a fight, the first words out of his mounth are, 'I WANT A REMATCH'.
The first debate was between President Joe Biden and Trump, where the former showcased a disappointing performance, following which he bowed out of the race, paving way for Harris's entry.
On Wednesday, Trump said, “I just don't know” when asked about another debate with Harris. However, Republicans, including Senator John Thune, have urged Trump to seek a third debate.
Trump, who is known for his shocking U-turns, could still make up his mind. If not, the previous debate will be the only time Trump and Harris debate each other ahead of the elections in November.
Vice-president Harris, who is the Democratic presidential nominee, on Thursday said the former president owes it to voters for another debate. Harris had an upper hand during the debate as she goaded the former president into making exaggerated and false comments that were frequently fact-checked by ABC moderators.
Meanwhile, Trump supporters alleged that the two moderators were not fact-checking Harris, pointing out that it was 3-on-1 debate with Trump on one side and Kamala and the ABC moderators on the other.
Meanwhile, conservative Fox News has invited both Trump and Harris for a third debate in October. Trump had earlier appeared solo on Fox News for a town hall hosted by Sean Hannity.
