TRUMPED UP
Donald Trump doubles down and insists he won Kamala Harris debate – but appears to rule out second showdown with VP
Three potential dates have been offered to both camps for a rematch
DONALD Trump has spoken out after his debate with Kamala Harris to double down on his claims and address a second round in the ring.
The former President spoke to Fox News in a phone interview on Wednesday morning where he discussed last night's showdown in Philadelphia.
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Trump was asked if he was open to a second debate against the vice president and he appeared to rule it out.
Fox News revealed that the network had reached out to both Trump and Harris' campaigns with three potential dates for a rematch.
"I don't want to do another debate," he told the news anchors on Fox and Friends.
"I'd be less inclined to because we had a great night."
Debate night highlights...
- Donald Trump and Kamala Harris engaged in a fiery debate where, at times, the former president seemed enraged and frustrated.
- Vice President Harris tried to get under Trump's skin by bringing up his ties to Project 2025, his criminal conviction in New York, his rally crowd sizes, and the various indictments he's facing.
- Trump went off script when he repeated wild conspiracies about immigrants eating dogs and cats in Springfield, Ohio.
- "They're eating the cats. They're eating the pets of the people that live there," Trump said as Harris laughed and shook her head.
- In one instance, Trump seemingly threw his running mate, JD Vance, under the bus and blamed him for miscommunication about his stance on a national abortion ban.
- Despite his subpar moments, Trump dubbed his performance "his best debate ever."
- A Harris spokesperson called for a second debate in October.
He doubled down on previous claims from his team that the moderators during the ABC showdown were "handling" the situation for Harris while unfairly "attacking" him.
The debate was overseen by ABC's David Muir and Linsey Davis who fact-checked Trump several times during the 105-minute show.
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After he came off the stage on Tuesday night, the 45th president took to Truth Social claiming it was his "best debate ever" and that it was an especially good win as it was "THREE ON ONE."
"They should have corrected [Harris] six or seven times when she told an outright lie" such as Project 2025, Trump told Fox on Wednesday morning.
He compared the debate to a boxing match and claimed that Harris' team wants to go another round because they lost the first one.
"They lost very badly and the first thing they do is ask for another debate," he said.
The odds have completely flipped. Kamala Harris is now the favourite to win November's election
"The losing person, fighter, debater, they always ask for a rematch."
When pushed by the anchors to continue discussing a future debate, Trump refused to make a decision.
"I won the debate by a lot but I think we let it settle and see what happens," he said.
Trump reiterated a similar statement on Truth Social on Wednesday afternoon, writing, "In the World of Boxing or UFC, when a Fighter gets beaten or knocked out, they get up and scream, “I DEMAND A REMATCH, I DEMAND A REMATCH!'"
"Well, it’s no different with a Debate. She was beaten badly last night. Every Poll has us WINNING, in one case, 92-8, so why would I do a Rematch?'"
The network offered Harris and Trump the following dates for a potential rematch:
- October 9 in Arizona
- October 15 in Georgia
- October 16 in North Carolina
The locations are all battleground states that could go either way in November's election.
During the phone conversation with the news outlet, Trump claimed that "every single poll last night had me winning 90 to 10," which dipped only to "80 to 20 at the end."
One of the viral moments that came out of the debate was when Trump turned the tables on his opponent by using her own phrase against her.
It came when he was interrupted by the vice president as he discussed her U-turns on the issue of defunding the police.
"That's not true," Harris said as she laughed and shook her head in disbelief.
"Wait a minute, I'm talking now," Trump eagerly retorted, echoing the moment in October 2020 when Harris told Trump's Vice President Mike Pence "I'm speaking" during a vice presidential debate.
"Does that sound familiar?" Trump asked the Democrat nominee who appeared amused by the jibe.
Trump claimed Harris was gunning to use the phrase against him on Tuesday but that he "got there first."
"She wanted a moment like she did with Mike Pence but I took that too," he said.
"I had a little fun with that."
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However, this is one of the issues Trump needs to work on if he faces Harris again before the election, political performance coach Graham Davies told The U.S. Sun.
Meanwhile, Harris will have to take hold of her facial expressions, which he said could derail her hard work behind the scenes.
DAVID MUIR V DONALD TRUMP
David Muir and Donald Trump's history dates back to 2016 when the former president was merely a candidate going head-to-head with Hillary Clinton.
Trump has been public about his feelings toward ABC, however, he has shown favor toward Muir.
In 2016, Trump had refused interview with ABC, but when Clinton and her running mate Tim Kaine agreed to speak with Muir, the former president changed his mind.
"If it's David Muir, I wanna do it," Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway recalled the 78-year-old saying to The Daily Beast.
Ultimately, Muir interviewed Trump and Mike Pence on a private plane at the Canfield County Fairgrounds.
"David Muir seems like central casting to Donald Trump," Conway said.
She also mentioned hearing Trump making a remark about Muir, calling him "handsome."
Additionally, multiple ABC News staffers have told the outlet that Trump likes Muir due to his dominance in ratings.
"Trump likes people who are number one in the ratings, and David’s number one," said an ABC News reporter.
Muir also was able to land the first televised interview with the former president after he won the election.
In 2020, the 50-year-old moderator secured the first TV interview with Trump during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement on the anchor, an ABC News spokesperson called him "prolific."
"David Muir is one of the most prolific, trusted and highly respected journalists in America—he is tough, but fair which is why ABC World News Tonight has been the most watched newscast for nearly a decade," they said.
"His work speaks for itself."