Trump under pressure to 'rematch' with Harris on television
Báo Thanh niên•25/09/2024
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is facing mounting pressure to participate in a second televised debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.
After Harris accepted CNN's invitation for a rematch on October 23, more Republicans are encouraging Trump to participate. The Hill reported yesterday that Republicans are confident that Trump has a better chance of outperforming his Democratic opponent, after Harris was widely viewed as the winner in the ABC News debate on September 10. Strategists argue that Trump has nothing to lose by participating in a second debate, especially after Harris' performance has failed to widen her lead in the race. The latest New York Times/Siena College poll released on September 23 shows Trump holding the advantage in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina. Six weeks before Election Day on November 5, Mr. Trump leads Ms. Harris by 50% to 45% in Arizona, 49% to 45% in Georgia, and 49% to 47% in North Carolina. These are three states that are among the seven battleground states that are likely to decide the outcome of the 2024 US presidential election.
Mr. Trump and Ms. Harris in the debate on ABC News on September 10.
PHOTO: REUTERS
"The race is very tight," The Hill quoted expert Steve Cortes, a former adviser to Mr. Trump. Mr. Cortes appreciated Mr. Trump's current position and said that the Republican candidate should not miss the opportunity to speak to the entire American people once again. Mr. Trump's allies said that the second debate with his opponent Harris was an opportunity for the former president to improve his image and focus on the policy aspect. "Don't fall into the trap and focus on policy," according to enthusiastic Republican donor Dan Eberhart. Meanwhile, expert Cortes analyzed that Mr. Trump should sharpen his strategy more carefully, for example, if he uses the "immigration" card, he should focus on the right point. Specifically, the massive wave of illegal immigration into the US is said to cause difficulties for small towns with limited resources. Regarding the vice presidential debate on October 1, CNN reported that Mr. Trump's vice president, Senator JD Vance (Ohio), has spent the past month preparing to "fight" Governor Tim Walz (Minnesota), Ms. Harris' running mate. In the next few days, Mr. Vance will rehearse with Congressman Whip Emmer, who will play Mr. Walz, at an undisclosed location. In a related development, the US Secret Service has stepped up efforts to protect candidate Trump, following two assassination attempts within two months, NBC News reported. At the time Mr. Trump left the plane in Pennsylvania, a Secret Service agent followed closely behind from the front gate of the plane, a sign of a change in security near the election day.
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