The morning after former President Donald Trump’s debate failure against Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrat’s campaign wasted little time in issuing a fresh challenge: She wanted to debate him again. The Republican made little effort to hide his reluctance to the idea.
In fact, just two days after Harris beat Trump in their first debate, the GOP nominee announced — in an all-caps online message — that there would be no rematch.
So, that settled that? Not exactly. One day later, NBC News reported that the Republican left open the possibility of another debate with Harris, saying it might happen if he were in “the right mood.”
With this in mind, Harris isn’t giving up on sharing the stage with Trump again. In fact, as NBC News reported, the Democratic nominee has already accepted an invitation to appear in another such event.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign on Saturday said it would accept an invitation to participate in a second debate with former President Donald Trump. The potential debate would take place on Oct. 23 and be hosted by CNN, Harris campaign chair Jennifer O’Malley Dillon said in a statement.
I won’t pretend to know whether Trump will change his mind, or how many times he might reverse course over the next month. But over the weekend, the former president seemed to rule out the possibility.
“The problem with another debate is that it’s just too late,” the Republican said. “Voting has already started.”
Trump: 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/JgNITnEt7Z
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 21, 2024
It was an odd response. For one thing, Trump was happy to participate in a 2020 debate that was held on Oct. 22. The proposed CNN debate would be held on Oct. 23.
For another, what difference does it make if early voting has begun in some states? If Trump is going to keep airing ads and holding rallies, there’s nothing stopping him from similarly sharing his message by way of a televised debate. As it turns out, however, Trump isn’t just balking at the idea of another debate, he’s also still relitigating the last one. In his latest Fox News interview, the former president once again endorsed an investigation into ABC News, suggesting the network’s broadcast license should be in jeopardy. This is, alas, a go-to move for the Republican nominee. Complicating matters, Trump isn’t alone in targeting ABC for hosting a debate he lost. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., appears to have launched his own freelance investigation, demanding that the network turn over communications with the Harris campaign, while Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., recently endorsed congressional hearings into an ABC “whistleblower” who does not appear to exist in reality. So, what happens now? Watch this space.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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