By Donald Trump has been taking the air out of the balloon that is Kamala Harris by refusing to do a second debate, and the vice president is getting more and more desperate. Despite the media claiming that Harris easily won their first clash, polling and focus groups have shown that the first contest between the two barely moved the needle.
Now, she’s begun begging for a second chance despite previously turning down a second debate with Trump on Fox News because she couldn’t have moderators who would explicitly help her.
One of the criticisms of Donald Trump during the debate was inability to not take the bait when Kamala Harris made personal insults against him or attacked his rallies. The Washington Post writes that the vice president is using the same tactic, hoping to goad Trump into another debate.
What may be seen as savvy by some may seem like desperation to others.
Her campaign has hired a plane to trail the words “Trump’s Punting on 2nd Debate” over Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday night, where Trump is expected to attend the much anticipated 7:30 p.m. Eastern time football matchup between the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama.
For the millions of football fans who tune in from home, she will also run a new ad nationally on ABC that hammers home her point.
“Winners never back down from a challenge. Champions know it’s anytime, anyplace. But losers, they whine and waffle and take their ball home,” the narrator says at the start of the spot, over images of a football game and washed-out footage of Trump missing a golf putt.
The 30-second ad ends with footage of Harris challenging him to another debate, with the words “When we fight, we win” hanging on a sign in the background.
“Well, Donald, I do hope you’ll reconsider to meet me on the debate stage. If you’ve got something to say, say it to my face,” Harris says.
Tonight, during the Alabama-Georgia football game, Trump made an appearance to a cheering crowd, showing that the Harris stunt had little impact with the crowd.
🔥🚨BREAKING NEWS: Donald Trump just arrived at the Alabama Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa for the Alabama v. Georgia football game and he is receiving a massive amount of support. It is worth noting Tim Walz was booed in at the Michigan Big House college football stadium… pic.twitter.com/90HomXxzrA
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) September 29, 2024
That doesn’t mean Trump didn’t notice. CNN reported that the moves could work on the sometimes impetuous former president. “Despite what he’s said publicly, Trump has privately flirted with the idea of meeting Harris on the debate stage one more time, sources tell CNN. Several of his advisers have argued that it could serve as a way to make his case to the American people that Harris has had more than four years in office to fulfill the campaign promises she’s making now, a message that some of Trump’s allies didn’t think he pushed hard enough when they debated earlier this month in Philadelphia.
But some of Trump’s advisers believe his mind is firmly made up that it won’t happen. The former president himself has said it could depend on his mood.
A second meeting could serve Harris as well. While several polls, including the New York Times-Sienna College, found that viewers overwhelmingly thought Harris beat Trump in the debate, it didn’t deliver a significant bump and the race has remained in a dead heat.”
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