Kellyanne Conway, the former senior adviser to former President Trump, said Monday she is still hoping Trump agrees to another debate against Vice President Harris and noted the former president did not say “totally no” to the prospect.
Conway told Fox News host Jesse Watters she spoke to the former president earlier Monday and told him she didn’t think he would be able to resist another forum with Harris after the vice presidential debate Tuesday night.
“I asked President Trump today, we interviewed for an hour, and I said to him, ‘The guy I know —you — is not going to be able to sit down after a 90-minute VP debate and let that be the last word in presidential debates. You’re going to say, well, when is our next one?’” Conway said.
“And I hope he does that,” she added.
Conway, a longtime Republican strategist who ran Trump’s successful 2016 campaign, has publicly called for the former president to agree to another debate against the vice president.
Asked whether she expects another showdown between the party nominees, Conway suggested she thought there was still a chance, comparing Trump to Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani.
“He had said no, but he didn’t say totally no,” Conway replied, adding, “that Oct. 23 one with CNN’s too late. But why not get back in there?”
“Trump’s like, I told him, you’re like Shohei Ohtani, you’re pitching, you’re batting. You’ve done seven of them. She’s 1 for 1 — big deal,” she continued.
“The other thing he told me today is that he doesn’t feel safe,” Conway added, as Watters spoke at the same time, wrapping up the interview.
The first debate last month between Harris and Trump was widely seen as a victory for the Democratic nominee. Trump subsequently said he would not do another debate, saying he thought he won the first faceoff.
Harris already accepted an October debate that would be hosted by CNN, which Trump declined. She has been goading him into returning to the stage since the Sept. 10 event.