Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted an invitation for a second debate with former President Donald Trump despite the first one receiving controversial reviews.
The Harris campaign announced on Saturday that the vice president would "gladly" debate Trump on October 23— just a week before the November election.
I will gladly accept a second presidential debate on October 23.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 21, 2024
I hope @realDonaldTrump will join me. https://t.co/Trb8HUBsDh
“Vice President Harris is ready for another opportunity to share a stage with Donald Trump, and she has accepted CNN’s invitation to a debate on October 23,” Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a statement.
“Donald Trump should have no problem agreeing to this debate. It is the same format and setup as the CNN debate he attended, and he said he won in June when he praised CNN’s moderators, rules, and ratings,” O’Malley Dillon added.
A CNN spokesperson said Harris and Trump received an invitation for a second debate “as we believe the American people would benefit from a second debate between the two candidates.”
Before Harris’ offer, Trump argued it was “too late” to have another debate because voters had already begun casting their ballots.
“The problem with another debate is that it’s just too late; voting has already started,” Trump said at a rally in North Carolina on Saturday.
In a response to Harris’ announcement, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung pointed to a Truth Social post in which Trump wrote, “THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!”
Trump dismissed plans for a second debate with Harris, saying he didn’t think it would be necessary.
BREAKING: Trump just told the voters of North Carolina that there won't be another debate with Kamala Harris because voting has already begun, and the only reason she wants to do it is because she knows she's LOSING
— George (@BehizyTweets) September 21, 2024
"She's done one debate. I've done two. It's too late to do… pic.twitter.com/zefd22eEv2
The first debate aired on ABC News earlier this month. It was arguably one of the most biased and unfair presidential debates, sparking criticism over its moderators who repeatedly fact-checked former Trump while throwing softball questions to Harris.
Meanwhile, Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), will face Harris’s vice presidential pick Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) on October 1 in a debate hosted by CBS.