Donald Trump has come up with yet another excuse to skip a proposed second debate with Kamala Harris, claiming she only wants to debate him again because his running mate bested hers in Tuesday’s face-off between the candidates for vice president.
“Lyin’ Kamala just put out a request for another Debate because they lost so badly tonight – Again, it’s like the fighter who lost, gets up and says, ‘I WANT A REMATCH,’’’ he wrote on Truth Social after Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz finished their debate. “I beat Biden, I then beat her, and I’m not looking to do it again, too far down the line.”
For weeks, Harris has been goading Trump to agree to a second debate, after most registered voters said she was the clear winner in their lone match-up in September. On Sunday, she told a crowd of about 7,500 people in Las Vegas that Trump’s refusal to debate her was proof he was “ready to fold.” But she didn’t call for another presidential debate on Tuesday night.
Many pundits judged Walz to have lost the 90-minute debate, hosted by CBS News, although flash voter polls gave the Ohio senator just a 1-point edge. The conversation was civil and policy-focused, with the candidates shaking each other’s hands and making small talk. In other words, it was shockingly normal—and the governor of Minnesota allowed Vance to paint a nice, normal face on his extreme policy agenda, Democrats complained.
Debate viewers walked away with a more favorable view of Vance, with just 30 percent giving him favorable ratings before, compared to 41 percent after. Walz also made a good impression on viewers, though; his favorability rating went from 46 percent to 59 percent among viewers, CNN found.
It’s not clear yet how those numbers might ultimately affect the race. Trump is 78 and critics say he is showing signs of cognitive decline, meaning Vance could easily end up stepping in as president at some point if Trump wins back the White House in November.
Way back in 2008, Sen. John McCain’s vice presidential pick, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, didn’t do him many favors in light of his age and declining health. Similarly, Vance’s fitness for office could be more of a factor this year than in other recent campaign cycles.
