Former President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he will not participate in another debate with Kamala Harris before the November 5 election. His decision follows recent polls suggesting that Harris performed better in this week’s debate.

“There will be no third debate!” Trump declared on his social media platform, Truth Social.

In an interview with the New York Post, Trump, 78, explained, “We don’t see any need for it. We’ve already had two debates—one against Biden and one against Kamala. I did exceptionally well in both.”

Following Trump’s announcement, Harris expressed her belief that another debate is necessary. “I think we owe it to the voters to have another debate,” she said during a rally.

While Trump claimed victory in his post, multiple polls indicate that Harris was perceived as the stronger debater.

Polls Reflect Harris’ Edge

A CNN poll conducted after the debate revealed that Harris was favored over Trump by most viewers. YouGov reported that 54% of respondents thought Harris won, compared to 31% who believed Trump was the victor. A Reuters/Ipsos poll, which closed on Thursday, shows Harris leading Trump 47% to 42% in the race for the November 5 election, marking an increase in her lead following the debate.

The two-day Reuters/Ipsos poll indicated that Harris had a five-point lead among registered voters, up from her four-point lead in an earlier August poll. Among those who were aware of the debate, 53% felt Harris won, while 24% believed Trump emerged victorious. Additionally, 52% of those familiar with the debate felt Trump appeared less sharp, compared to 21% who thought the same of Harris. Notably, 20% of Republican voters felt Trump lacked sharpness.

Debate Dynamics

During the debate in Philadelphia, Harris put Trump on the defensive. A majority of voters familiar with the debate—52%—believed Harris demonstrated higher moral integrity compared to 29% for Trump. Among Republicans, 53% thought Trump won, while 91% of Democrats viewed Harris as the victor. For Republicans, 31% said no one won, and 14% believed Harris bested Trump.

The debate, hosted by ABC News, attracted 67.1 million viewers, surpassing the 51 million who watched Trump debate President Joe Biden in June. Biden’s poor performance in that debate led to significant calls from Democrats for him to withdraw from the 2024 race, which he did in July.