Trump: It would be ‘inappropriate’ to debate Sanders
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a campaign rally, at the Rimrock Auto Arena, in Billings, Mont., Thursday.
WASHINGTON >> Donald Trump won’t debate Sen. Bernie Sanders after all.
In a statement released this afternoon, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said it would be “inappropriate that I would debate the second-place finisher.”
“As much as I want to debate Bernie Sanders — and it would be an easy payday —I will wait to debate the first-place finisher in the Democratic Party, probably Crooked Hillary Clinton, or whoever it may be,” the statement reads.
Trump originally agreed to debate the Democratic presidential candidate when Hillary Clinton declined to debate Sanders in California, saying she preferred to turn her focus to the general election against Donald Trump. Sanders then submitted a question when Trump appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” Wednesday night, asking if Trump would debate him.
Trump said he and Sanders would pull in “such high ratings” if they did agree to a faceoff.
“If he paid a nice sum for charity, I would love to do that,” Trump said on the show. He later said he would want the debate to raise $10 million to $15 million for women’s health issues.
Sanders took the challenge seriously.
Reports then circulated that Trump had been joking about the challenge, and Sanders’ campaign manager Jeff Weaver said on CNN that they hoped Trump wouldn’t “chicken out.”
Sanders responded saying, “Given that there are several television networks prepared to carry this debate and donate funds to charity, I hope that he changes his mind once again and comes on board.”
Sanders added: “”There is a reason why in virtually every national and statewide poll I am defeating Donald Trump, sometimes by very large margins and almost always by far larger margins than Secretary Clinton. There is a reason for that reality and the American people should be able to see it up front in a good debate and a clash of ideas.”
Call it chickening out or otherwise, but it appears Trump won’t debate Sanders. Trump’s full statement is below:
“Based on the fact that the Democratic nominating process is totally rigged and Crooked Hillary Clinton and Deborah Wasserman Schultz will not allow Bernie Sanders to win, and now that I am the presumptive Republican nominee, it seems inappropriate that I would debate the second-place finisher. Likewise, the networks want to make a killing on these events and are not proving to be too generous to charitable causes, in this case, women’s health issues. Therefore, as much as I want to debate Bernie Sanders — and it would be an easy payday — I will wait to debate the first-place finisher in the Democratic Party, probably Crooked Hillary Clinton, or whoever it may be.”
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Tribune News Service and the Associated Press contributed to this story.
17 responses to “Trump: It would be ‘inappropriate’ to debate Sanders”
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“Floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee”. Trump using the old rope-a-dope and he’s got ’em hook, line and sinker.
I wasn’t aware that wussing out and behaving like a child was how that strategy worked.
Trump calls cowardice, bravery and his buffoon army buys it up. Just like his open contempt for the Constitution is now being called “Conservatism.” Frightening.
“A perfect example of when democracy… has failed.” ~Dennis Reynolds
So should Hilary debate Cruz?
It’s mathematically impossible for Cruz to secure the Republic nomination at this point. However, of the Democrat side, Clinton is under threat of indictment, and the fact that superdelegates are always free to change their votes means that her standing as the front-runner as the Democratic nominee is not nearly as secure as Trump’s standing as the front-runner as the Republican nominee. Sanders still very much as a horse in this race. Comparing Sanders to Cruz is an apples-to-oranges comparison.
Nice try. Better luck next time.
I’d pay to see that.
Of course it would be “inappropriate”…he’d get his butt kicked…
Sadly it has been predicted that the Donald won’t be in any debates now as he would be crushed. So I am not surprised that he has backed out. Maybe he should be called Chicken Donald?
Actually, both Trump and Sanders are the presumptive nominees, since Hillary is campaigning on borrowed time until her inevitable indictment comes.
Libs all wee weeeeeed up lol
Drumpf, like the rooster perched on the top of his dunghill, crows and crows — and thinks his crowing is what makes the sun come up.
A Socialist vs a Capitalist. Wouldn’t that have been great!
I hopefully Clinton is disqualified. Then, you can debate Sanders.
Crooked Hillary?, let us see your tax returns chump; maybe you got many more hidden gems you don’t want to be revealed which explains why you say you being audited.
Brave Brave Sir Donald,
Bravely Ran Away.
When truth and facts reared their ugly heads
He bravely turned his tail and fled
Yes, brave Sir Donald turned about
And gallantly he chickened out.
Feel the burn
Feel the burn
Once you’ve earned your shot
The Donald will toke your pot
So wait until your turn
No more burn
No more burn..