Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former President Bill Clinton, cast doubt on another presidential debate taking place, claiming former President Donald Trump is scared to debate his opponent again.
The debate between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris marked the first time the two candidates came face-to-face on the 2024 campaign trail. The Harris campaign offered to do another debate shortly after, but the 45th president dismissed the idea of a second debate with Harris, claiming on Truth Social that she wants a rematch because she lost.
“But he knows he lost, and he knows he lost his cool, and he knows she got under his skin, and he knows that she’s on the right side of what most Americans want our country to be, and he’s scared, and he should be,” Clinton said while guest-hosting The View on ABC.
Clinton also predicted that Harris will continue to run on abortion access while campaigning for president, a topic that is expected to push many voters to the polls this November. During Tuesday’s debate, the vice president said she would “proudly sign” a new law to restore Roe v. Wade.
The View co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former staff member of the Trump administration, contended there may be some “buyer’s remorse” within the Republican Party in the wake of this debate. She added that while Tuesday’s debate was not a major loss for Trump, his performance could push away independent voters.
Prior to Trump dismissing any possibility of another presidential debate, CNN contributor Scott Jennings wrote on X that the former president has no reason to debate Harris again. Jennings said he thought it was “ridiculous” how ABC News moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis fact-checked Trump multiple times during the debate without fact-checking Harris.
No reason for Trump to do another debate. Next set of moderators would treat him even worse and give Harris another free pass. My view on @cnn last night. pic.twitter.com/HwTXuDLY74
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) September 12, 2024
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Former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who endorsed Trump last month, was more mixed in his assessment of the debate, suggesting that Harris won “in terms of her delivery, her polish, her organization, and her preparation,” while Trump won “in terms of his governance.” One opportunity Trump missed in the debate, Kennedy argued, was not asking voters if they are better off from four years ago, as there is “no argument for saying that they are.”
Tuesday night’s debate scored approximately 67.1 million viewers watching the ABC News simulcast across CNN, Fox News, Fox Business, and MSNBC. Viewership was up 31% from the last debate, which garnered around 51.3 million people.