Trump declines CNN invitation to a second debate with Harris, says it's 'too late'

This story was updated to add new information.

WASHINGTON - Former President Donald Trump declined a CNN invitation to debate Vice President Kamala Harris for a second time on Oct. 23, less than two weeks before Election Day.

Trump told supporters at a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina, Saturday that "It's just too late - voting has already started." He also said he's "already done two" debates, and questioned whether CNN would be fair to him.

Harris had accepted CNN’s invitation on Saturday, sharing in a tweet that she hopes the former president would join her.

“Vice President Harris is ready for another opportunity to share a stage with Donald Trump, and she has accepted CNN’s invitation to a debate on October 23,” said campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon in a press release. “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.”

The former president wrote in a Truth Social post earlier this month that he wouldn’t debate Harris again, claiming he won the ABC face-off against her. However, when asked if he would reconsider a second debate with Harris last week, Trump told reporters, “Maybe if I got in the right mood.”

CNN reported that the debate would mirror the format of one held in June at the network’s studios in Atlanta between President Joe Biden and Trump. Biden’s dismal debate performance sparked concerns among Democratic lawmakers, donors and activists leading the president to drop out of the 2024 race and endorse Harris.

Harris and Trump faced off in Philadelphia earlier this month in a debate hosted by ABC News, sparring over heated issues such as abortion, immigration and the economy.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump declines to do another debate with Harris