Former US President Donald Trump has shut down any possibility of another presidential debate against Kamala Harris before the November election. He claims Harris only wants a rematch because he “clearly” won the first showdown. Several instant polls show voters felt Harris performed better than her Republican rival.
Prediction markets show major crash as the news with traders were paring back bets on a third debate. The chances of the third debate dropped to 28% on Polymarket. However, if Trump and Harris opt not to go for another round of debate then it would mark the lowest number of debates in an election year since 2020 and 1996.
Trump says ‘No’ to third debate
Donald Trump in a TRUTH post declared “NO THIRD DEBATE!” after their recent face-off and his June debate with President Biden. However, Harris fired back at a North Carolina rally, saying voters deserve another debate because what’s at stake could not be more important.
The former President suggested that polls clearly show that he won the first debate and the vice president immediately called for a Second Debate. Trump advised the other candidate to focus on what she should have done during the last four years.
An Ipsos poll revealed that 53% of voters felt Harris won the debate, compared to just 24% for Trump. Meanwhile, other polls show voters are split over expecting the third debate. 54% said one debate was enough and 46% wanted more.
According to the Polymarket data, Kamala Harris has now 50% of winning the election leaving Trump behind with 49%. This same poll stood tied after the end of the second debate. The popular vote winner 2024 shows 75% of traders going in Harris’s favor while Trump holds the rest 25%.
Crypto went unmentioned
The much anticipated debate showed both candidates tackling major issues including abortion rights and the war on Ukraine but the Crypto agenda went missing from the list. Despite no direct crypto discussion, the sector is one of the hot topics in the 2024 race. Crypto firms have spent more than $119 million this year, mainly funding super PACs like Fairshake PAC.
Trump has been vocal about supporting the crypto industry as he had promised to end regulatory crackdowns and backing crypto-friendly running mate J.D. Vance. He’s also pledged to advocate for Bitcoin miners.
The former President had announced his family’s new crypto venture, World Liberty Financial. In a video posted on X, Trump revealed it will aim to be a modern alternative to traditional banks.