USA: Trump Refuses to Participate in Third Debate After Polls Favor Harris
Washington, DC, USA: Donald Trump announced on Thursday, September 12, 2024, that he would not participate in another debate against Democratic opponent Kamala Harris ahead of the November 5 election. Trump, who previously engaged in debates with both President Joe Biden in June and Vice President Harris earlier this week, declared his decision on Truth Social, saying, “THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!”
Despite boasting about his performance, sources within Trump’s circle, including six Republican donors and three of his advisers, indicated that Harris had outshined Trump in the recent debate. They cited Trump’s struggle to stay focused on key topics as a contributing factor.
The debate drew in 67.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings. Polls painted a similar picture, with multiple surveys showing Harris as the clear winner. A Reuters/Ipsos poll revealed that 53% of respondents believed Harris won, compared to 24% for Trump. Additionally, 54% of registered voters felt that one debate between Trump and Harris was sufficient, while 46% wanted another.
CNN’s flash poll and a YouGov survey further underscored Harris’s strong showing, with the latter revealing that 54% of viewers favored Harris, while 31% sided with Trump.
