Trump expresses doubt about participating in another debate with Harris, criticizes ABC for their fact-checking moderators.
Multiple TV stations are eager to organize a presidential debate in October. Following Harris outsmarting Trump on stage the previous night, her team expressed immediate interest in a second debate with the former president. However, Trump remains hesitant, with his recent comments hinting at a lack of commitment to a sequel.
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"If you win the debate, I don't know if I want to participate in another one," Trump said during a phone interview on Fox News the following morning.
Appearing on "Fox & Friends," Trump criticized Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, two potential debate moderators proposed by Fox for October.
"I wouldn't want to have Bret and Martha," he stated, before suggesting Sean Hannity, Jesse Watters, or Laura Ingraham instead.
Its clear that Fox's prime-time personalities, who predominantly operate in the realm of entertainment as opposed to news, will not be overseeing a general election debate. Thus, if this is where discussions begin, don't expect another debate.
Trump's campaign senior advisor, Jason Miller, argued on "CNN This Morning" that Trump "has already agreed to three debates." He blamed Harris for avoiding Trump's referral to a September 25 debate hosted by NBC.
However, the Harris campaign wants the vice presidential debate between Tim Walz and JD Vance to occur first. CBS is hosting this encounter on October 1. Consequently, Harris spokesman Brian Fallon stated the previous night, "That was fun. Let's do it again in October."
NBC and other stations are prepared to organize a Harris-Trump reunion in October.
Trump, on Wednesday, also criticized ABC after the debate moderators fact-checked him live during the prime-time Philadelphia encounter.
"CNN was more respectable" during the June debate, Trump informed "Fox & Friends," labeling Disney-owned ABC "the most dishonest news organization, and that's saying a lot."
Trump repeatedly asserted that the debate was a "three-on-one" situation and suggested that Disney's FCC broadcast licenses should be revoked due to the moderators' conduct.
"They're a news organization – they require a license to operate – they should have their license canceled for how they handled that," he said.
Despite Fox News being suggested as a potential host for another debate, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with their proposed moderators and suggested alternative choices. However, the business of organizing a debate between the two candidates remains uncertain due to Trump's hesitancy and the scheduling preferences of both campaigns. The media is still actively pursuing the possibility of a second debate in October.
