Former President Donald Trump seems to be adhering to a simple mantra: why bother with a second debate when the voting for the 2024 presidential election is already in full swing? This bold move breathes new life into the age-old debate question—can politicians actually be trusted to tell the truth, or is it just a game of musical chairs until the music stops? Unsurprisingly, Harris’s camp is keen on dragging Trump back to the stage, possibly hoping for a last-minute miracle to revive her campaign.
Reports emerged over the weekend indicating that Vice President Kamala Harris has “graciously” agreed to debate Trump again, this time on the ever-reliable CNN—as if there was any doubt about that network’s penchant for giving her a favorable platform. Her campaign chairwoman, in a valiant attempt to sound important, announced that this second opportunity is crucial for the American people, who presumably can’t get enough of watching Harris flounder in the face of hard questions. Whether folks actually want to tune into this spectacle, however, is a debate in itself.
🚨Just in: President Trump has declined to do another debate with Harris saying, “They would like to do another debate. The problem with another debate is it’s just too late. Voting has already started.”
pic.twitter.com/dmSlxMFiWm— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) September 21, 2024
While Harris’s team may be giddy at the thought of a second debate, the question remains: will Trump bite? Spoiler alert: he’s not interested. The former president has consistently maintained that another debate would be a pointless exercise, especially since early voting has already begun. If there were ever a classic case of “too little, too late,” that would be it. He pointed out that Harris had her chance, but she turned down the opportunity when the invite from Fox News came a-knocking.
Trump wasted no time calling out the irony of Harris wanting to debate just as her numbers plunged further into the abyss. He likened it to a boxer on the canvas, barely able to speak and yet demanding a rematch—quite a vivid image. The former president argued that she is well aware of her precarious position in the polls and is attempting to latch onto any last-ditch effort to regain some semblance of relevance.
As the clock ticks down, and with early voting underway, Trump appears resolute in his stance. The question of whether he’ll change his mind hinges on the glimmer of desperation from Harris and her campaign, but as of now, the Trump team has clearly indicated there are no more debates in the cards. In a political landscape as contentious as this, the old saying rings true: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it—especially if the challenger is running on fumes.