Former President Donald Trump has softened his stance on participating in a third presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, stating that he could potentially agree if he was "in the right mood."
Former President Donald Trump has hinted at the possibility of participating in a third debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, despite previously declaring that the prospect was "dead."
During a press conference in California on Friday, Fox News congressional correspondent Aishah Hasnie questioned Trump on the possibility of another debate.
Trump Leaves the Door Open for Third Debate, Claims He Did "Great" in Past Ones
"I wouldn't need anything. I could do it tomorrow," Trump responded. "I've done two debates. Everything was crooked in the second one."
Trump also claimed to have performed well in the debates and suggested that the post-debate polls supported his claims.
Trump Leaves the Door Open for Third Debate, Claims He Did "Great" in Past Ones
"I did great in the debates, and I think they've answered everything. But maybe if I got in the right mood, I don't know," he said.
Trump's latest comments contradict a Truth Social post he made earlier this week, in which he categorically rejected the idea of a third debate.
Trump Leaves the Door Open for Third Debate, Claims He Did "Great" in Past Ones
"When a prizefighter loses a fight, the first words out of his mouth are, ‘I WANT A REMATCH,’" Trump posted Thursday. "Polls clearly show that I won the Debate against Comrade Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ Radical Left Candidate, on Tuesday night, and she immediately called for a Second Debate."
"THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!" he added.
Trump Leaves the Door Open for Third Debate, Claims He Did "Great" in Past Ones
Trump had previously agreed to debates proposed by Fox News and NBC News ahead of the ABC News debate, which Harris did not accept. FOX News Media has since sent a letter to the Trump and Harris campaigns offering to host another debate, with Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum as moderators and proposing three dates in October.
Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, is scheduled to face his Democratic rival, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, in a debate hosted by CBS News on Oct. 1.
Tuesday's ABC News debate marked Trump's second presidential debate after he faced off against President Biden in a debate in June hosted by CNN. Biden's performance in that debate was widely criticized, and Harris quickly emerged as the Democratic nominee.
In the ABC News debate, Harris attempted to change the rules that were agreed upon between the Trump and Biden campaigns by advocating for unmuted microphones, but she was unsuccessful.
Since the debate, Trump has repeatedly criticized ABC's debate moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, accusing them of biased fact-checking and going easy on Harris.
According to a Fox News poll conducted after Tuesday's debate, 52% of voters believe Harris won the debate, while 48% say Trump won. However, when it comes to policy, 52% say Trump had better answers, compared to 48% for Harris.
