Donald Trump has made a surprise decision should he lose in this year’s Presidential election.
The former President and Republican candidate admitted he will not run again for President if he were to lose to Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris.
It comes as Harris is pushing for a new debate next month as the November 5 election nears, while Trump is declining, citing the start of early voting in some states.
A recent NBC News poll put Harris as five points ahead of Trump. The poll found the Vice President had 49 per cent of the vote among registered voters, compared to 44 per cent for Trump.
The 78-year-old has said he will not run again if he loses in November
Reuters
Asked if he saw himself running again in four years if he is not successful in his third consecutive bid for the White House, the 78-year-old former president told Sharyl Attkisson’s “Full Measure” program: “No I don’t. I think that will be — that will be it. I don’t see that at all. Hopefully, we will be successful.”
Trump launched his first reelection bid for the 2020 election the same day he was inaugurated in 2017 and announced his latest White House bid two years ago in November 2022.
Trump has continued to claim his 2020 loss to Democratic President Joe Biden on widespread voter fraud.
He still faces federal and state criminal charges over efforts to overturn the election results. Trump denies any wrongdoing and has cast his indictments as a political attack against him while embracing increasingly dystopian rhetoric if he were to lose in 2024.
LATEST IN THE RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE
Kamala Harris is pushing for a second presidential debate
Reuters
Speaking about a second debate, Harris said: “[Trump] should accept because I feel very strongly that we owe it to the American people and to the voters to meet once more before Election Day…We should have another debate…My opponent is looking for a reason to avoid.”
A representative for Trump’s campaign referred to the presidential candidate’s comments at a rally last week when asked about Harris’ remarks.
Speaking to supporters at a North Carolina rally on Saturday, Trump said: “The problem with another debate is that it’s just too late. Voting has already started.”
Harris acknowledged that early voting had started in some US states but noted that it is a close contest with more than a month to go, adding: “This race is as close as it could be. This is a margin of error race.”
Speaking to supporters at a North Carolina rally on Saturday, Trump said: “The problem with another debate is that it’s just too late. Voting has already started”
Reuters
Asked whether the four year break helped him regroup and figure out who he could trust as allies, Trump said: “It would have been easier if I did it…contiguous.”
“But the benefit is more than anything else, it shows how bad they were,” he added.
Trump, who spoke with Attkisson at his Florida resort, also said it was “too early” to make deals with people for any position in his White House cabinet should he emerge victorious over Harris in November.