Trump says he’s not inclined towards another debate with Harris
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Former US president Donald Trump insisted he had won the debate against Vice-President Kamala Harris "by a lot".
PHOTO: AFP
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WASHINGTON – Donald Trump said he is not inclined to have another debate with Ms Kamala Harris after initially suggesting several additional match-ups to supplement their Sept 10 forum.
“I am not inclined to do it because I won the debate by a lot,” the former president said on the morning of Sept 11, in an interview on Fox News, refuting analysts who said the Vice-President had bested him.
“I don’t know that I want to do another debate.”
He added that Ms Harris’ request for additional debates suggests she lost the event on Sept 10.
“The losing person, the fighter, the debater, they always ask for a rematch. I won the debate,” he said on Sept 11.
The former president did leave open the prospect of another contest, however.
“But I think we let it settle in, and let’s see what happens,” Trump said.
A month ago Trump floated three debates with Ms Harris, including the one that had already been agreed upon for Sept 10.
The Harris campaign previously said it would commit to additional debates only if Trump showed up for the Sept 10 event.
Immediately following the debate, the Harris campaign said it welcomed more, and Fox News subsequently reached out to both candidates to lock in a spot.
The Sept 10 debate carried added significance as polls forecast a razor-edged race. The New York Times/Siena College poll on Sept 7 showed Trump led Ms Harris nationally by a point.
Trump on Sept 11 morning said the Fox network should host an event if it were to take place, but that it should not be moderated by anchors Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier – after their critical coverage of his performance on Sept 10.
Fact checks
Trump also railed against the Sept 10 host network, ABC, for fact-checking various claims he made – including noting that there were no credible reports of immigrants eating animals in Springfield, Ohio, and that abortions could not take place after a baby is born.
The Sept 10 debate saw the candidates spar over numerous topics, including abortion, the economy and the border.
A CNN exit poll showed 63 per cent of people who watched the forum said Ms Harris won. BLOOMBERG
