'We owe it to voters': Harris challenges Trump for second debate after ex-Prez rules out another showdown

While addressing a charged-up rally in North Carolina, US Vice President Kamala Harris challenged former US President Trump for yet another presidential debate. The challenge from the Democratic presidential nominee came shortly after Trump ruled out debating against Harris again, claiming that he “won” the first showdown against her.

“I believe we owe it to the voters to have another debate,” Harris said at a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, just an hour after Trump wrote in all capital letters on his site Truth Social that “there will be no third debate!” Despite Harris’ strong performance Tuesday, her team quickly claimed that they are open for another debate.

In back-to-back rallies in Charlotte and Greensboro on Thursday, Harris frequently mentioned the outrageous remarks made by Trump at the debate. The vice president said that during the clash of words, she spoke about the issues that mattered to American families, while his Republican rival reprised “the same old show”.

“Because, you know, it’s all about him, it’s not about you,” she said in her speech at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte. Well, folks, I said it then, I say it now. It’s time to turn the page," she added.

Harris slams Trump’s ‘concepts of a plan’ 

During her rally, Harris also mocked Trump for saying that he has a “concept of a plan” when asked about his past threats to end the Affordable Care Act. “You heard what he said in the debate, he has no plan to replace it,” a laughing Harris told the crowd. “He said ‘concepts of a plan.’ Oh, you all watched the debate? Concepts! Concepts! No action plan, concepts!" she remarked.

The Democratic presidential nominee repeated  several points she made during the debate, including that several Republicans who served in Trump’s administration have said that he is “unfit for office and that the former president reveres dictators more than the Constitution.”

“And let us be very clear, somebody who suggests we should terminate the Constitution of the United States should never again stand behind the seal of the president of the United States,” she said. “Never again. Never again.”

Harris warned her supporters to not go complacent ahead of the November polls, a problem several Democratic candidates faced in the past elections. “It’s going to be a tight race until the end, and we are the underdog,” she said, warning of “powerful forces” trying to discourage or stop people from voting. “We love hard work,” she added. “Hard work is good work.”

With inputs from agencies.