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Politics

Trump-Sanders Debate Won't Be Happening After All

May 27, 2016 - 4:45pm
Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump
Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump

Looks like there might not be a Donald Trump-Bernie Sanders debate after all. On Friday, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said he wouldn’t debate the Vermont Senator, despite hints at the possibility earlier this week.

On Wednesday, Trump said he would be open to debating Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders one-on-one, which led to widespread speculation that the debate would actually happen, despite the fact that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has a stronger possibility of becoming the Democratic Nominee.

Trump’s tune changed rapidly over the course of the next two days, however, and on Friday he said it wouldn’t be “appropriate” to debate the second place finisher.

Although Trump said he would “love” to debate Sanders, there were some stipulations to the debate actually happening  -- Trump said there would have to be “a lot of money put up for charity” in order for a debate to happen, saying he wanted to raise at least $10 million to $15 million for charity to schedule the debate.

He had other terms, as well.

"I understand the television business very well. I think we’d get very high ratings. It should be in a big arena somewhere,” he said. 

Even Sanders said he was all in on the idea, taking to Twitter shortly after Trump said he would be willing to face off before the June 7 primary. 

“Game on,” the Vermont Senator wrote. “I look forward to debating Donald Trump in California before the June 7 primary.”

The Sanders campaign team ramped up efforts for a Trump-Sanders faceoff, with members of Sanders’ campaign team saying they hoped Trump didn’t “chicken out” on following through with the debate.

"We are ready to debate Donald Trump,” Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. “We hope he will not chicken out. I think it will be great for America to see these two candidates and the different visions they have for America going forward.”

Unfortunately for Sanders’ team, it looks like they might not be getting their wish after all.

Trump explained an unfair nominating process was part of why the cards had been stacked against Sanders and why he would refuse to debate him.

“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,” he said in a statement. “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.”

As a result, Trump said he would wait it out to debate Clinton later on in the race.

“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,” he added.

 

Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.

Comments

Why should Trump debate him? It would mean nothing. However, there are some people (Hillary and Bernie supporters obviously) who think Trump is afraid of Sanders. That is stupid. It is Hillary who is afraid of Sanders and she will not debate him any longer for fear of losing even more votes to him. The Democratic race is still on, and Hillary is running the other way. What a coward. No way do I want her in the White House. I want a strong leader who will take on others and the issues. Clinton is not strong, tough or anything good. But she sure knows how to delete tens of thousands of emails and lie about it all. George Vreeland Hill

Trump is a true bully wimp. Afraid to debate The Bern!

A "Treasonous woman" and a "Dirty old man".... Doesn't leave Democrats with much 'choice' OR 'hope' (Oh, that's right, Obama already used THAT tactic on Democrats...and successfully 'scammed' them too, for eight looonnggg years) !

Wednesday trump said okay lets debate. Thursday Trump gets the 1237 needed delegates he needs so now he's officially won the Republican Nominee position. Friday Trump backs out of the debate. Trump Looks very Presidential having to back out because he is the 1st to win nominee and both Sanders and that clinton woman could have a contested convention, remember that those super delegates that clinton woman uses as hers now, well they actually do not count until the convention that is if she is still in the campaign. That I.G. report is not good for her, not at all.

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