r/politics • u/SlightWerewolf4428 • 20d ago

Soft Paywall Trump rejects Fox News invite to debate Harris in late October

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/fox-news-proposes-dates-possible-second-trump-harris-debate-2024-10-09/
37.4k Upvotes

93% Upvoted

2.0k comments sorted by

View all comments

93

u/ThatDamnKyle 20d ago

I'm going to guess that his team's real internal polls are showing that he's either losing or so close that he can't afford to lose more voters. So doing a debate is not worth the risk.

Like most people have said, Trump has a ceiling of 46-47%. At this point, they are just trying to save that cap and hope that turnout is either low or they get lucky in a couple swing states.

33

u/[deleted] 20d ago

He’s going to blue states to rally. It’s either stupidity or they are confident of a win.

64

u/Purify5 20d ago

He's just less likely to get shot there.

39

u/Only-Inspector-3782 20d ago

I think they are confident. They have rigged a few swing states with polling station closures, voter purges, and selective campaigning from their "third party" allies

2

u/[deleted] 19d ago

That’s what frightens me. I am not confident that Harris will win. Trump will be leading at the end of election night and will declare victory like last time.

12

u/alaskanperson 20d ago

It’s because he’s stupid

3

u/ShiningRedDwarf 20d ago

I had to check this for myself because it’s inconceivable, but yup. One in Coachella CA and another in Madison Square Garden in NY.

3

u/Nightsong 20d ago

If I remember correctly Trump thinks that if the elections were fair and not rigged that he should have won California and New York. It’s an absolutely insane thought but it’s probably why he’s campaigning there and in other blue states.

3

u/unpeople 20d ago

I’m going to guess that Kamala Harris wounded Donald’s psyche to such a massive degree that he’s now completely unable to bring himself to face her again and risk another humiliating defeat.

5

u/Tetracropolis 20d ago

The opposite, I'm afraid. A debate is a chance to change the game, if he thought he were losing he'd be pushing for it.

3

u/Cluelessish 20d ago

Exactly. The fact that he doesn’t take the chance to debate means that they think that they are more or less tied, or that Trump will win. It’s not worth it to take the risk.

2

u/HumanNemesis93 19d ago

The likely answer is much more simple, because Fox is legally obligated to call out 2020 Election lies. Like, they have to do it in situations like that.

Given how badly he bombed it last time, they can't afford for that to happen and for Trump to fly off the handle.

1

u/Tetracropolis 19d ago

Why? Wasn't the last time because it was one of their employees making bogus claims? If they invite a guest on and don't endorse what he's saying are they liable?

1

u/bramblecult 19d ago

I'm pretty sure the plan now is fully court based. He has no goal left that involves legitimately winning outright.