Trump declines any further debates with Harris, claims victory in recent debate

Former President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he will not engage in any more rematch debates with Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of the November 5 election. Trump dismissed Harris's call for another debate as a sign of her defeat in their recent encounter.

In a statement shared on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump argued that Harris's request for a second debate reflected her acknowledgement of having lost their debate on Tuesday. "Polls clearly show that I won the Debate against Comrade Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ Radical Left Candidate, on Tuesday night, and she immediately called for a Second Debate," he asserted, adding, “There will be no third debate,” in reference to his prior debates, including one with President Joe Biden in June.

While Trump referenced unnamed polls that he claimed favoured him, mainstream media surveys presented a different perspective. A CNN poll revealed that 63% of debate viewers believed Harris emerged victorious, with only 37% supporting Trump. Similarly, a YouGov poll indicated that 43% of participants felt Harris outperformed Trump, 28% favoured the former president, and 30% remained undecided.

In a bid to capitalise on what it described as post-debate momentum, the Harris campaign announced a robust fundraising achievement, raising $47 million within 24 hours following the debate—the largest influx of donations since Harris officially launched her candidacy.

Looking ahead, trump's running mate, JD Vance, is scheduled to debate Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz on October 1 in New York.