Former US President Donald Trump has shut down any possibility of another presidential debate with Kamala Harris before the November election. He claimed Harris only wanted a rematch because he “clearly” won the first face-off. Several polls in the run-up to the debate showed voters felt Harris performed better than her Republican opponent.
Prediction markets saw a big drop on the news, with traders cutting bets on a third debate. The odds of a third debate have dropped to 28% on Polymarket. However, if Trump and Harris decide not to participate in another round of debates, it would be 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 “THERE IS NO THIRD DEBATE!” following their recent confrontation and his June debate with President Biden. Harris, however, fired back at a rally in North Carolina, saying voters deserve another debate because what’s at stake couldn’t be more important.
The former president said the polls clearly showed 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 in the last four years.
An Ipsos poll found that 53% of voters felt Harris won the debate, compared to just 24% for Trump. Meanwhile, other polls showed voters were split on whether they wanted a third debate, with 54% saying one debate was enough and 46% wanting more.
According to Polymarket data, Kamala Harris now has a 50% chance of winning the election, far ahead of Trump at 49%, a poll that remained the same after the second debate. The winner of the 2024 popular vote shows that 75% of traders favor Harris while Trump holds the remaining 25%.
Cryptocurrency Not Mentioned
The long-awaited debate saw both candidates address key issues including abortion rights and the war in Ukraine, but cryptocurrency was not on the agenda. While there was no direct discussion of cryptocurrency, the sector is one of the hot topics in the 2024 race. Crypto companies have spent more than $119 million this year, mostly funding super PACs like Fairshake PAC.
Trump has voiced his support for the cryptocurrency industry as he promised to end regulatory crackdowns and endorsed crypto-friendly running mate J.D. Vance. He also pledged to support Bitcoin miners.
The former president has announced his family’s new cryptocurrency project, World Liberty Financial. In a video posted on X, Trump revealed that the project aims to be a modern alternative to traditional banks.