'Too late to do another,': Trump says after Harris accepts CNN invitation for 2nd presidential debate

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Saturday it is "too late to do another" debate after his contender Vice President Kamala Harris accepted an invitation from CNN to have a faceoff with the former president Oct. 23.

"I will gladly accept a second presidential debate on October 23. I hope @realDonaldTrump will join me," Harris wrote on X.

The vice president is ready for another opportunity to share the stage with Trump, campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a statement.

"Donald Trump should have no problem agreeing to this debate. It is the same format and setup as the CNN debate he attended and said he won in June, when he praised CNN’s moderators, rules, and ratings," she added.

During a rally in the state of North Carolina, Trump said, however, it is "too late to do another" debate.

"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," said Trump.

"She’s had her chance to do it with Fox. You know, Fox invited us on, and I waited and waited, and they turned it down. They turned it down, but now she wants to do a debate right before the election with CNN because she’s losing badly," said the former president.

After a poor showing in the June debate against Trump, President Joe Biden exited the presidential race and endorsed Harris as the Democratic contender for the Nov. 5 election.

Harris and Trump debated for the first time Sept. 10.

Afterward, the Harris campaign quickly pushed for a second debate, but Trump announced he would not participate in another debate, claiming he decisively won against "Comrade Kamala Harris."

Trump later suggested that he might be open to a third debate. "Maybe if I got in the right mood," he told reporters last week.

*Servet Gunerigok contributed to the story