64 percent in new poll want to see another Harris, Trump debate

Sixty-four percent of respondents in a new survey want to see Vice President Harris and former President Trump face off in another debate ahead of the November election.

The poll, conducted by Quinnipiac University, found most Americans say they would rather the two candidates take the debate stage again. Just 31 percent say they would not like to see a second debate.

The first debate between Harris and Trump occurred on Sept. 10. Shortly after the match-up, the Harris campaign called for a second, though Trump has thus far declined to agree to one.

The ABC-broadcast event was widely viewed as a win for Harris. She said Saturday she had accepted an invite from CNN for a second debate, raising pressure on Trump to accept the challenge.

Two days after the first meeting of the two candidates, Trump posted online that “THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE.”

A second meeting between Harris and Trump would be the former president’s third debate of this campaign. He met with President Biden in June, hosted by CNN, where Biden’s poor performance led to him eventually stepping aside and endorsing Harris.

Harris has continued to prod the former president, egging him on to meet her again on the debate stage.

If a hypothetical two-way race between Harris and Trump were held today, they each would receive 48 percent support, the Quinnipiac survey found.

While Harris entered the campaign trail with a boom, she may be losing enthusiasm among voters. The survey noted that in August, 75 percent of her supporters said they were enthusiastic, compared to 70 percent in September. Trump’s enthusiasm, meanwhile, grew over the last month, from 68 percent to 71 percent.

Voters generally said Harris has higher ethical standards than Trump, but the former president is ranked higher than she regarding the candidate who cares more about the needs and problems of ordinary people.

The survey found voters say Harris will do a better job preserving democracy and addressing gun violence, while Trump is ranked higher on immigration and the economy.

Harris told reporters Sunday that she is pushing for another debate because voters deserve to hear “what’s your plan, what’s my plan” and argued there was “more to talk about” with Trump.

The Quinnipiac survey was conducted Sept. 19-22 among 1,728 likely voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points.

Updated on Sept. 25 at 10:14 a.m. EDT