Donald Trump Responds After Kamala Harris Agrees to Second CNN Debate
Trump said it was “too late” for another debate at a North Carolina rally on the heels of the Harris camp accepting a second debate on the network.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted CNN’s invitation for a second debate against GOP nominee Donald Trump hosted by the network, her campaign staffers announced Saturday.
According to CNN, a second square off between the two presidential candidates is planned for Oct. 23, two weeks before Americans head to the polls to cast their votes. However, so far only Harris has signed on for another debate.
At his Saturday North Carolina rally, Trump said it’s “too late” for another debate because people are already casting their votes.
“I’ve already done two,” he said. “One with crooked Joe Biden at CNN, and the other one with Kamala on ABC. CNN was very fair I thought. Joe was driven out of the race,” he said. “ABC was three on one, but I was given credit for having done a very, very good job. I appreciate that.”
After accepting the invitation, Harris said Trump should have no problem agreeing to the terms.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
“Vice President Harris is ready for another opportunity to share a stage with Donald Trump, and she has accepted CNN’s invitation to a debate on October 23,” said Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon in a statement.
She added, “Trump should have no problem agreeing to this debate. It is the same format and setup as the CNN debate he attended and said he won in June.”
NEW: VP Kamala Harris just accepted an invitation from CNN for a 2nd debate on October 23.
— Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) September 21, 2024
"Trump should have no problem agreeing to this debate. It is the same format and setup as the CNN debate he attended and said he won in June."
The debate O’Malley Dillon is referring to is Trump’s June 27 debate against Joe Biden. Biden’s lackluster performance in the debate drew calls for him to bow out of the presidential race by top Democrats.
However, Trump’s performance in his first debate with Harris on Sept. 10 drew similar criticisms over his performance and calls for him to focus on policy over put-downs.
When Fox News suggested that he did not win the debate against Harris, Trump responded that he actually preferred the “losers” at CNN over Fox.
The Trump campaign did not return the Daily Beast’s request for comment.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.