Donald Trump reveals he is unwilling for another debate, says clash with Harris on ABC was 'rigged deal'
WASHINGTON, DC: Former president Donald Trump has expressed his disinterest in participating in another debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, citing his dissatisfaction with how ABC News handled their recent clash.
The former president believes the debate was unfair and is now indicating reluctance to engage in future events before Election Day.
Trump took issue with ABC News’ fact-checking, which he argued was biased in favor of Harris.
Was Trump’s debate with Harris a 'rigged deal'?
The morning after the debate, Donald Trump voiced his frustration during an interview with Fox News, criticizing the moderation and fact-checking by ABC News.
He argued that ABC's treatment of his statements compared to Harris was heavily skewed.
“It was three to one. It was a rigged deal, as I assumed it would be,” Trump told Fox News.
He went on to accuse the media of bias, saying, “A lot of people are very angry about it. You know, you have corrupt news organizations. You have a lot of bad people. It’s amazing.”
Towards at the end of his remarks, he even suggested the network should face consequences.
“I think ABC took a big hit last night. To be honest, they’re a news organization, they have to be licensed to do it. They ought to take away their license for the way they did that,” Trump said, The Hill reported.
Will Trump agree to another debate?
Donald Trump showed little interest in a rematch after Harris campaign said Vice President Kamala Harris was ready for another debate.
“Under the bright lights, the American people got to see the choice they will face this fall at the ballot box: between moving forward with Kamala Harris, or going backwards with Trump,” Jen O’Malley Dillon said, according to CBS News.
Dillon also stated, “That’s what they saw tonight and what they should see at a second debate in October. Vice President Harris is ready for a second debate. Is Donald Trump?” she asked.
However, Trump made it clear that he would be unwilling to participate if these moderators were involved.
“I am not inclined to do it because I won the debate by a lot," Trump said.
Donald Trump says Kamala Harris lost badly, suggests favorite hosts for another debate
Donald Trump suggested that his performance was strong enough the first time.
“They lost very badly, the first thing they did is ask for a debate. They always ask for a rematch,” he said, dismissing the need for another event.
Trump also expressed a preference for having more favorable moderators in future debates, mentioning names such as Sean Hannity, Jesse Waters, or Laura Ingraham.
"Let’s give other people a shot. I didn’t think Martha and Bret were good last night,” Trump added, leaving the possibility of another debate contingent on his preferred conditions.
