The morning after Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump's first presidential debate, it is far from clear if Trump will agree to a rematch. Multiple TV networks are eager to host a presidential debate in October. The Harris campaign, exuding confidence after Harris baited Trump on a Philadelphia stage Tuesday night, immediately said she would agree to a second debate with the ex-president. But Trump is not committing, and his overnight comments suggest he is not serious about a sequel.
“When you win the debate, I don’t, I don’t know that I want to do another debate,” Trump said in a phone interview Wednesday morning on Fox News. Speaking with the hosts of “Fox & Friends,” Trump insulted Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, the two anchors that Fox has pitched as potential debate moderators in October. “I wouldn’t want to have Bret and Martha,” he said, before proposing Sean Hannity, Jesse Watters or Laura Ingraham instead. It is self-evident that Fox’s prime time stars, who exist more in the realm of entertainment than news, are never going to moderate a general election debate. So if that’s the starting point for negotiations, don’t expect another debate.
But Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller said on “CNN This Morning” that Trump “has already said that he is going to do three debates.” Miller blamed Harris for dodging Trump’s talk of a September 25 debate hosted by NBC.
The Harris campaign, however, wants the vice presidential debate between Tim Walz and JD Vance to happen next. CBS is hosting that face-off on October 1. That’s why Harris spokesman Brian Fallon said last night, “That was fun. Let’s do it again in October.”
NBC and other networks stand ready to host a Harris-Trump rematch in October.
Trump on Wednesday also assailed ABC after the debate moderators fact-checked the former president in real-time during the prime time telecast. “CNN was much more honorable” during its June debate, Trump told “Fox & Friends,” calling Disney-owned ABC “the most dishonest news organization, and that’s saying a lot.”
Trump repeatedly claimed the debate “was three on one” and suggested Disney’s FCC broadcast licenses should be revoked due to the moderators’ conduct. “They are a news organization – they have to be licensed to do it – they ought to take away their license for the way they did that,” he said.
Trump: “ABC took a big hit last night. I mean, to be honest, they're a news organization. They have to be licensed to do it. They ought to take away their license for the way they did that.”
The former president is referring to the debate’s moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, who fact-checked Trump five times during the 90-minute event and failed to correct Harris a single time. Many pundits said Trump received far more challenging questions and that ABC moderators gave Harris a pass on a variety of issues. Trump argued that the moderators were biased against him and that the debate was “three on one,” with the two moderators and Harris working together against him.
Trump’s comments are part of a broader pattern of attacks on the media by Republican politicians. Trump has repeatedly accused the media of being “fake news” and has called for the repeal of the First Amendment. He has also frequently attacked individual journalists and news organizations, and has even suggested violence against them.
Trump’s attacks on the media are part of a broader trend of political polarization in the United States. This polarization has made it difficult for people to have civil discussions about politics and has led to a decline in trust in institutions, including the media.
The attacks on the media are a threat to democracy. A free and independent press is essential for a healthy democracy. It provides citizens with the information they need to make informed decisions about their government and their lives. Without a free press, it is difficult to hold elected officials accountable and to protect the rights of all citizens.
Trump’s attacks on the media are a dangerous precedent. If allowed to continue, they will have a chilling effect on journalism and will make it more difficult for journalists to do their job. This will have a negative impact on democracy and on the lives of all Americans.
