Republican candidate Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he will not participate in any further presidential debates against Kamala Harris, ahead of the November 5 election. His decision follows multiple polls indicating that Harris performed better in their recent debate.
“There will be no third debate!” Trump declared on Truth Social, after previously debating President Joe Biden in June and Harris earlier this week.
Although Trump praised his own performance, six Republican donors and three of his advisers told Reuters they believed Harris had won, noting that Trump struggled to stay focused during the debate.
The event attracted 67.1 million television viewers, according to Nielsen data. In response to Trump’s announcement, Harris stated at a rally, “We owe the voters another debate.”
While Trump insisted polls showed he was victorious, several surveys suggested otherwise. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 53% of voters who had followed the debate thought Harris won, compared to 24% who favored Trump. Additionally, 54% of registered voters believed one debate was sufficient, but 46% expressed a desire for another.
A CNN flash poll and YouGov survey both showed that a majority of viewers believed Harris outperformed Trump.