The possibility of a final 2024 presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris is quickly dwindling. CNN has offered to host a debate in Atlanta on October 23, with Harris accepting the invitation and expressing her eagerness to debate Trump again. However, Trump has rejected the calls for a debate, leaving the window for a potential face-off closing rapidly.
CNN has escalated the situation by setting a Thursday deadline for a formal response from both campaigns. They believe that the American people would benefit from another debate between the two candidates for President of the United States. With less than 30 days until Election Day, the network is pushing for a decision to be made promptly, as organizing a debate is a time-consuming process that cannot be done overnight.
During election years, presidential candidates typically engage in multiple televised debates to showcase their policies and ideas to the American public. However, this election has been anything but typical due to President Joe Biden dropping out of the race earlier in the year. Harris attempted to capitalize on her performance at a previous debate by challenging Trump to a second face-off. CNN subsequently proposed an October 23 debate in prime time at their headquarters in Atlanta, where Trump and Biden had previously met.
While the Harris campaign quickly accepted the second debate invitation, urging Trump to participate as well, Trump declined the offer claiming it was too late for another debate. Despite the date for the CNN debate falling in line with final debates of other recent election cycles, Trump expressed his disinterest in participating in another debate with Harris. The Harris campaign insisted that she would be in Atlanta on October 23, calling on Trump to “step up and face the voters.” However, Trump maintained his stance of not wanting to debate again, citing his previous victories in debates against Biden and Harris.
As the deadline for a formal response from both campaigns looms closer, the fate of a final 2024 presidential debate between Trump and Harris remains uncertain. Harris is eager to participate in another debate, viewing it as an opportunity to explain her policies and ideas to the American public. Trump, on the other hand, has rejected the calls for a debate, citing his previous victories in debates against Biden and Harris as a reason for his disinterest in participating in another face-off. The decision on whether a final debate will take place rests in the hands of the two campaigns, with CNN pushing for a prompt response to potentially make the event a reality.
