October 12, 2024

Donald Trump is done with debates.

“We just don’t think that there’s any need for it,” the 45th president exclusively told The Post Thursday after announcing on Truth Social he would not take the stage against Vice President Kamala Harris again.

“We’ve done two. You know, one against Biden [on June 27], one against Comrade Kamala. I did well. I did really well,” the 78-year-old said during a phone interview.

Donald Trump told The Post he doesn’t think there’s a “need” to do another debate after the first one against Harris. Getty Images

“The debate polls, every single poll, had us winning it.”

Shortly before Trump’s announcement, the campaign blasted out a “confidential memorandum” claiming that its internal polling had showed the Republican nominee gaining two percentage points on Harris among likely voters across seven unidentified “target states.”

The GOP campaign had previously argued that the Harris camp should “stop f—ing around,” in the words of one Trump spokesperson, and take up the former president’s offer of a Sept. 25 debate hosted by NBC News.

Instead, the Harris camp countered by proposing a debate to be held sometime in October.

“There’s no debate on the 25th,” Trump told The Post Thursday afternoon. “Nothing has been arranged.”

Trump remained sore about his treatment Tuesday night by ABC News moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis, who were criticized for letting Harris skate on her falsehoods while giving Trump the third degree.

Trump and Harris debated on Tuesday in Philadelphia. AFP via Getty Images
Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the spin room after debating Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Getty Images

“I think she had the questions. And I think that the anchors … were a disgrace to American journalism,” Trump told The Post.

“You saw the way that was done, that was ridiculous,” he added.

“They didn’t challenge her on all of those things that they knew were false.”

The former president had initially proposed three debates with Harris — one hosted by Fox News Sept. 4, one hosted by ABC News Sept. 10, and one hosted by NBC News Sept. 25.

After the Democratic campaign passed up the Fox debate, Trump took part in a town hall in Harrisburg, Pa. alongside primetime host Sean Hannity.

Harris said they “owe” it to America to have a second debate. AP

“She was a no-show at the Fox Debate, and refused to do NBC & CBS,” Trump wrote of Harris on Truth Social. “KAMALA SHOULD FOCUS ON WHAT SHE SHOULD HAVE DONE DURING THE LAST ALMOST FOUR YEAR PERIOD. THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!”

While Trump may be done with debates, his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, is set to square off with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Oct. 1 at a showdown hosted by CBS News.

Trump told The Post he had three words of advice for his running mate — “just be yourself” — before predicting the “Hillbilly Elegy” author would be “fantastic.”