Trump Declines Second Debate on CNN After Harris Agrees, Says It’s Too Late

Vice President Kamala Harris on Sept. 21 accepted an invitation from CNN to debate former President Donald Trump for a second time, but the prospect of another showdown between the presidential candidates appears highly unlikely as the former president told rallygoers in North Carolina on the same day that the proposed date is too late in the election cycle for a debate.
Trump said that a potential second debate against Harris would have “good entertainment value” but added that there wouldn’t be much point because of timing.
“The problem with another debate is that it’s just too late; voting has already started,” the former president said, adding that he previously issued an invitation to Harris to debate on Fox, which she declined.
“Fox invited us on and I waited and waited; they turned it down,” Trump said. “But now she wants to do a debate right before the election with CNN because she’s losing badly.”
If an Oct. 23 debate were to happen, Trump and Harris would respond to moderators’ questions for 90 minutes without a live studio audience.
“We look forward to receiving a response from both campaigns so the American public can hear more from these candidates as they make their final decision.”
Trump’s remarks in North Carolina on Sept. 21 reinforce the position he expressed after his first debate against Harris, saying that there would be no subsequent debate between them.