Harris presses Trump to debate again: VP showdown ‘should not be the last word’
Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday re-upped her calls for a second debate with former President Trump as she courted voters in the critical swing state of Nevada two days before the first vice presidential debate.
“In two days, I know we will cheer on Coach Walz when he debates JD Vance. But listen, also, their debate should not be the last word,” Harris told a rally crowd at the World Market Expo Center in Las Vegas. Some 7,500 people attended, according to a campaign official.
“I’m trying to debate Donald Trump again. I think he should debate again. The American people have a right to hear us discuss the issues. And as you say here in Las Vegas, I’m all in. I’m all in, even if my opponent is ready to fold,” Harris said.
Harris and Trump squared off in their first debate earlier this month. The Democrat was widely seen as the winner, and she’s accepted an invitation from CNN for a second showdown. But Trump has said he won’t do another, despite pressure from some in his own party.
More than six in 10 Americans in a Quinnipiac University poll released last week said they want to see the two candidates take the debate stage again. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) launched a billboard campaign last week calling Trump “chicken” for not agreeing to another matchup.
While the Sept. 10 debate was his first with Harris, it was notably Trump’s second presidential debate this season. He debated President Biden back in June, an event seen as a driver behind Biden’s historic exit from the race.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and Ohio Sen. JD Vance will go head-to-head in their vice presidential debate on Tuesday. If Harris and Trump don’t agree to another program, their running mates’ face-off could be a closing argument for both campaigns.
Harris in Nevada opened up her rally with a somber note, thanking first responders and sending well wishes to those affected by Hurricane Helene in the Southeast. She then went on to tout her economic vision and discussed the need for comprehensive immigration reform.
The polls show a tight race in Nevada, which is seen as one of seven critical battlegrounds that will determine who wins the Oval Office in November. Harris has a slim 2-point lead in the Silver State, according to the latest polling averages from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ, and a 4-point lead nationally.
Harris’s fast-tracked bid has fueled Democratic optimism about a path through the Sun Belt states of Arizona, Nevada and Georgia. Biden won Nevada by roughly 2 points back in 2020.
Harris pulled in $55 million total from two stops in California over the weekend, according to a campaign official. The vice president was at a fundraiser in Los Angeles on Sunday before jetting to Las Vegas for the rally event.
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