Trump says he won't accept CNN invite to debate Harris
Summary
TLDRVice President Kamala Harris has accepted CNN's invitation to debate former President Trump on October 23rd. This would be their second public debate, following Trump's initial rejection for a rematch after their September 10th encounter. The debate's format will be similar to previous ones, with 90 minutes of moderator questions without a live audience. Panelists discuss the potential impact, with some suggesting Trump's past debate performances indicate he might not benefit from another, while others see it as an opportunity for Harris to further contrast leadership styles.
Takeaways
- 📅 Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted an invitation to debate former President Trump on October 23rd.
- 🔄 This would be the second public debate between Harris and Trump, following their meeting in Philadelphia last week.
- 🎙️ The proposed CNN debate format would be similar to the June debate between Biden and Trump, with 90 minutes of moderator questions and no live audience.
- 🗳️ Some argue that another debate is unnecessary as voting has already begun, suggesting it's too late to sway voters significantly.
- 🤔 Scott Jennings, a former senior adviser to President George W. Bush, expresses skepticism about the value of another debate for Trump.
- 💡 Karen Finney, a former senior adviser for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, sees the debate as an opportunity for Harris to contrast her leadership with Trump's.
- 🗣️ A panelist suggests Trump is not a strong debater and could be easily triggered, which could lead to a poor performance.
- 📊 The debate could be an opportunity for Trump to grow his support base, but there are doubts about his ability to do so effectively.
- 📺 Brian Stelter points out the importance of television ratings for Trump and suggests he might agree to the debate to reach a large audience.
- 🏆 The Harris campaign has stated that it would be unprecedented for there to be only one general election debate between the two main candidates.
Q & A
Who has accepted an invitation from CNN to debate on October 23rd?
-Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted an invitation from CNN to debate former President Trump on October 23rd.
What is the significance of the October 23rd debate between Kamala Harris and former President Trump?
-The October 23rd debate would be their second meeting on a public debate stage and would take place in the final few weeks of the campaign season.
What was the initial reaction of former President Trump regarding a second debate with Kamala Harris?
-Initially, former President Trump rejected a second debate with Harris, suggesting that it was too late since voting had already started.
How does the format of the proposed CNN debate between Kamala Harris and former President Trump compare to previous debates?
-The CNN debate would mirror the June debate between Biden and Trump, with a similar format where the participants would field moderator questions for 90 minutes without a live studio audience.
What is Scott Jennings' opinion on whether former President Trump should reconsider the invitation to debate?
-Scott Jennings is skeptical about whether Trump should do another debate, suggesting that it might not make a huge difference and questioning the value of participating at this late stage of the campaign.
What does Karen Finney believe about the potential benefits for Vice President Harris in debating again?
-Karen Finney sees any opportunity for a direct contrast between the former president and Vice President Harris as a win for Harris, given her strong performance in previous debates.
What is the general consensus among the panelists about the effectiveness of debates for the former president's campaign?
-The panelists generally agree that the former president is not a particularly good debater and that participating in another debate could potentially harm his campaign.
What is the significance of the statement made by Jen O'Malley Dillon, the Harris campaign chair, regarding the debate?
-Jen O'Malley Dillon stated that it would be unprecedented in modern history for there to just be one general election debate between the two candidates, suggesting that Trump should have no problem participating.
What is Brian Stelter's perspective on the importance of additional debates for informing the American public?
-Brian Stelter believes that additional debates, like the one proposed by CNN, are important for informing the American public, as previous debates have been successful in terms of providing insights into the candidates' positions.
How does the panel discuss the potential impact of the former president's decision to decline the debate invitation?
-The panel discusses that declining the debate invitation might be spun by the former president as a strategic move, but it could also be perceived as a sign of weakness by some voters, especially considering his past focus on television ratings.
Outlines
🗞️ Breaking News: Kamala Harris Accepts Debate Invitation
Vice President Kamala Harris has agreed to a CNN-hosted debate with former President Donald Trump, set for October 23rd. This would be their second public debate, following a previous debate on September 10th. Trump, after initially declining a second debate, hinted that he might reconsider under the right circumstances. The debate would mirror a June debate between Biden and Trump, featuring 90 minutes of moderated questions without a live audience, and it will be held at CNN's Atlanta studios. Despite the excitement around the event, Trump expressed that the timing may be too late, as voting has already begun.
💡 Panel Discussion: Should Trump Debate Again?
CNN's political commentators, Scott Jennings and Karen Finney, weigh in on the upcoming debate. Jennings is skeptical about Trump participating, noting that he has debated seven times in the past, and questions whether another debate would yield any positive outcomes for him, especially with limited time left in the campaign. On the other hand, Finney sees the debate as a potential win for Harris, given her strong past performance and Trump's noticeable decline in debate skills compared to 2016. Both agree that while the CNN debate would be well-organized, Trump might not benefit from participating.
🎤 Trump's Debate Struggles: The Risks of Another Face-Off
The conversation shifts to Trump's performance in previous debates. Panelists argue that he is not a strong debater and tends to be easily distracted and 'triggered' by opponents like Harris. They note that Trump struggled with facts and staying on message in earlier debates, which could be problematic for his campaign if he agrees to another debate. Trump's tendency to double down on his base instead of expanding it raises concerns about whether he can use another debate to grow support.
📉 Impact of Debate: Growing Support vs. Political Risks
The panel continues to discuss whether another debate would help Trump. They doubt that participating would allow him to broaden his voter base, which remains stagnant. Trump's tendency to get off-topic and focus on irrelevant issues, such as his earlier comments about Ohio, detracts from the potential benefits of debating again. The panel concludes that Trump's campaign likely sees the risks outweighing the potential gains.
📺 Media Strategy: Trump's Relationship with TV Ratings
The conversation turns to Trump's media strategy. The panel discusses his obsession with television ratings and how his previous debates have been viewed by millions. Despite Trump's public reluctance, they speculate that he might find it hard to resist the massive audience a debate could attract. Trump's focus on ratings, stemming from his background with 'The Apprentice,' suggests he may ultimately agree to participate in another debate, despite the risks.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Vice President Kamala Harris
💡Debate
💡CNN
💡October 23rd
💡Former President Trump
💡Public Debate Stage
💡Moderators
💡Voting
💡Campaign
💡Supporters
💡Television Ratings
Highlights
Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted an invitation from CNN to debate former President Trump on October 23rd.
This debate would be their second meeting on a public debate stage, taking place in the final few weeks of the campaign.
Trump initially rejected the second debate but later suggested he might be open to it, depending on his mood.
The debate would be held at CNN’s studios in Atlanta without a live studio audience, similar to a previous debate between Biden and Trump.
Trump expressed hesitation, stating it might be too late for another debate as voting had already begun.
Political commentators debated whether Trump should accept the invitation, with some arguing he has little to gain from another debate.
Scott Jennings, a former senior advisor to President George W. Bush, mentioned that Trump has historically not performed well in debates, but it did not prevent him from winning in 2016.
Karen Finney, former senior advisor for the Hillary Clinton campaign, argued that the debate would benefit Harris by contrasting her leadership against Trump’s performance.
Finney noted that Trump’s debate performances have deteriorated since 2016, with recent debates showing him as undisciplined and unfocused.
The debate was viewed as an opportunity for Harris to showcase her leadership skills, especially in a one-on-one setting against Trump.
Commentators suggested Trump’s team might avoid the debate due to his poor track record with factual discussions and his tendency to be easily distracted.
There was speculation that Trump might avoid the debate because he knows it could go poorly for him.
Brian Stelter noted that Harris's campaign is eager for the debate, viewing it as a strategic advantage.
CNN emphasized that another debate would benefit the country by providing voters with more information ahead of the election.
Despite his hesitation, commentators believed Trump might eventually accept the debate due to his interest in high television ratings.
Transcripts
Hello again, everyone.
Thank you so much for joining me
this Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whi
All right. We begin this hour
with our breaking news.
Vice President Kamala Harris
has accepted an invitation
from CNN to debate former
President Trump on October 23rd.
This would be their second
meeting on a public debate stage
and would take place
in the final few weeks of the ca
After initially rejecting a seco
with Harris
following his September 10th sho
with her in Philadelphia
last week,
Trump suggested
he might be open
to another debate, saying,
I'm quoting him
Maybe if I got in the right mood
and quote,
the CNN debate would mirror
the June debate
between Biden
and Trump with a similar format
in which Trump
and this time Harris
would field
moderators questions for 90 minu
without a live studio audience,
and it would take place
at the network's studios in Atla
You know, a lot of people say, O
It's great entertainment.
I've already done two.
The problem with another debate
is that it's just too late.
Voting has already started.
She's done one debate.
I've done two.
It's too late to do another.
I'd love to in many ways,
but it's too late.
The voting is cast.
The voters are out there immedia
So let's turn now to our
panel, CNN senior political comm
and former
senior adviser to President Geor
W Bush, Scott
Jennings, and CNN political comm
and former
senior adviser
for the Hillary Clinton 2016
campaign, Karen Finney.
Good to see both of you
on this Saturday night.
Scott, let's start first with yo
Let's talk about this potential
Do you think that the former pre
should reconsider this invitatio
or do you think it's
the right call for him
to to not do any additional deba
Well, first of all,
I should say I do have great con
that CNN would put on a good deb
So we'll start there.
We did a great one in in Atlanta
Number two,
I have been skeptical about
whether he should do another deb
I thought maybe not.
You know, he's done seven.
I take the Biden
one out from the summer
and the other six.
The snap polls have always judge
This goes back to 2016
not to have won the debate,
even though it didn't
keep him from beating Hillary Cl
He did lose three to her.
So I've just wondered,
what are you going to get out of
And and is it
is it worth your time
when you're running a campaign?
And he's right that late?
You know, I'm
not sure it would make a huge di
You know,
when you're using your time,
you're asking yourself, am I
am I getting something positive?
And I just don't know
that there is anything to get.
So I think he's probably making
call here.
And Karen, for her part,
Vice President Harris seems very
to have another debate.
Her and her team
very happy with how the last one
What do you think?
Well, look, I think the any oppo
to have such a direct contrast b
the former president
and our vice president
is a win for the vice president.
She did very well during the deb
in large measure.
I mean, her own performance.
But we also saw
your daughter bump
has really lost
a step
from where he was in 2016
or even some of the debate perfo
we saw in 2020.
We saw a lot of rambling.
We saw, you know,
he really had no discipline,
no ability to stay on message
and to stay focused.
So I understand why
they don't want to do a debate.
I agree with Scott.
Of course,
the CNN debate would be excellen
and a great opportunity.
But I
but I understand
why he doesn't want to do it.
And I do think it would be
another great opportunity
for the vice president.
I think anytime she's
in that environment,
she's showing
what a strong leader she is.
What's your viewpoint here?
Is it unnecessary?
You know,
or would it be instructive
for the former president to deba
Well, I think the
former president
be crazy to debate again.
I mean, he's not a particularly good debater.
You know, he did terribly in the last deba
The only
he benefited from Joe Biden's im
in the first debate.
But he's not a good debater
and he's so easily triggered
and trolled by Kamala Harris,
then he doesn't really discuss
policy well,
and he has a problem
with facts and truth.
So I'm sure his campaign doesn't
want him to do another debate
because I suspect they know
it will go very badly.
That's as simple as that.
I just can't imagine any reason
why he should go up there.
It's just
he'll just have another drubbing
Well, you heard the former
president spinning it.
They're saying,
you know,
she's the one who performed so b
And this is like a rematch
and that's what a fighter would
But he needs to grow support.
So we know his supporters are wi
Would it not be an opportunity t
get more support?
Well, sure, I guess.
Well, I guess it's an opportunit
But the question is, what will h
Well, he will he continue to,
you know, be triggered?
Will he be distracted?
He'll talk about
people in Ohio eating cats and d
Will he not be able to answer qu
whether or not he supports
Ukraine in the war against Russi
I mean, I just don't know
that he's capable of giving answ
that would actually help him
grow his support.
He's done nothing up to this poi
to really expand upon his base.
He doubles down in his base all
He needs to grow it.
So this opportunity,
I think he would blow it
if he if he took you up on it.
Gotcha.
And Julian,
we know the former president,
he likes to come across
as looking strong,
saying no to debate is
does that make him look strong?
Well, no.
I mean, he will
spin it
the way he's
spinning it to act
as if he's defending himself.
He's under attack,
which is his traditional rhetori
But it does make him
look for many voters, I'm sure,
I think many people will see it
the congressman just described i
And this does undermine
some of that image, although,
again, for his supporters,
his image endures
and we see those polls don't cha
So it's
what do the small pockets
of undecideds think?
And I don't think this benefits,
but I don't think there's much h
I think he knows enough to know.
The odds are
this could go very poorly for hi
And he knows,
I think
despite the rhetoric
that that last debate
was not a good TV performance,
which is something he does measu
Brian Stelter, let's bring you i
Good to see you, Brian.
Welcome back on the weekends wit
So what how do you assess this?
I mean, Harris
and her campaign have said yes
to CNN's invitation
and saying this publicly.
And first,
I'd say that's a big nudge chall
I mean, kind of goading Trump in
you know, are you willing to do
Yes, absolutely right.
CNN says in a statement
that the network believes
this will be good
for the country, for voters
to have another debate.
And I think we can all agree
that that is the case.
Think about the two debates
we've seen so far this year.
Both were hugely successful
in terms of
informing the American people.
We learned a lot about Biden
and Trump in June,
and we learned a lot about Trump
and Harris just a few weeks ago.
So here now,
we look forward to the next few
The only debate currently schedu
is the vice presidential debate
that's between Walz and JD Vance
Tim Walz and Jay Advance. Octobe
We knew the Harris campaign
didn't want to debate again
until the VP debate.
But I think here's
the interesting thing, Fred.
Is the VP debate
really going to be the last word
It probably shouldn't be the las
Historically, it never has been.
Historically, there's been a VP
and then another presidential de
So I think that might be the log
or the calculus
that does not play here,
as CNN formally proposes
this debate, as Harris accepts i
Furthermore, Jen O'Malley,
Dillon, the Harris campaign chai
and she said in a statement
a few minutes ago,
it would be unprecedented
in modern history
for there to just be one general election
between the two candidates.
She said Trump should have no pr
participating because, quote,
it's the same format and setup
as the CNN debate he attended in
Interesting.
And even with this truncated
political season now with these
you know,
yeah, it would be a remark knowa
But then what will it say, Brian
if the former president says no?
We remember his all caps
post on true
social saying
there will not be a third debate
We also know that we can't
take him at his word historicall
given that he's often changed hi
about many topics from policies
to whether he'll debate again.
I personally, Fred,
have believed all along
that the former president
will find it irresistible
to reach 60, 70, 80 million view
President Trump,
more than anyone else, knows
the power of television ratings.
He cared deeply about that
even decades ago on The Apprenti
He still cares deeply
today about television ratings.
And he knows that
both of the debates
he's been in this year
have been huge smash successes.
So to my gut
as a TV
guy has been that
he will eventually agree to a de
because he wants to reach
that huge audience
in the final weeks before
before Election Day.
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