Donald Trump has made it clear that he will not be participating in a third debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, particularly one organized by CNN. His reasoning stems from the fact that he believes he already won their previous debate, and a rematch would serve no useful purpose. Trump communicated this stance on his social media platform, Truth Social, where he announced in bold, “THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!” His refusal marks a continuation of his longstanding criticisms against the mainstream media, including CNN, which he has frequently accused of unfair treatment and bias.
The previous debate between Trump and Harris was marked by heated exchanges and a number of tense moments. While both sides claimed victory, Trump argued that he had sufficiently proven his dominance, describing his performance as decisive. In his view, any further debate would only benefit Harris, who challenged him to another round shortly after the conclusion of their earlier face-off. Harris’ campaign argued that the American people deserved more opportunities to see the two leaders engage in a substantive exchange of ideas, but Trump remained unconvinced.
One of the key reasons Trump gave for not accepting the CNN invitation was his dissatisfaction with how the network had handled the previous debate. He took issue with the live fact-checking done by moderators, accusing them of focusing more on discrediting his statements than facilitating a balanced debate. Trump’s camp, while not entirely ruling out the idea of future debates, has hinted at seeking platforms and moderators that they deem more neutral. In interviews following the debate, Trump suggested that moderators like **Fox News’ Sean Hannity** or **Jesse Watters** would be preferable over CNN’s choices, whom he derided as biased.
Trump’s team has shown a general wariness of participating in debates where they feel the moderators will not treat the former president fairly. This sentiment was echoed by senior advisers within the campaign, with **Jason Miller** mentioning that any future debate would have to involve platforms that would allow Trump to present his views without being overly scrutinized by what he perceives as politically motivated fact-checking.
Despite the refusal to debate Harris again on CNN, Trump’s campaign has not entirely dismissed the idea of further debates in the 2024 election cycle. There has been discussion of other possible matchups, including one with NBC, which has been floated as a potential future venue. However, as Trump’s campaign carefully navigates these decisions, the former president continues to engage directly with his base through rallies and social media, focusing on his own narrative rather than risking further confrontations that could, in his view, play into the hands of his political opponents.
For now, it appears that the prospect of another high-profile debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, at least on CNN, is off the table. Both sides have dug in on their respective positions, with Harris continuing to push for further public engagement and Trump opting to remain selective about his future debate appearances. This decision is part of a broader strategy by Trump to maintain control over his messaging and avoid settings where he feels he may be disadvantaged by biased moderation.
