After agreeing on Wednesday to debate Sen. Bernie Sanders before the upcoming California primary, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump recently announced that he has changed his mind and decided to back out of the agreement. Although Sanders’ campaign has received offers from major television networks willing to host the presidential debate while donating a portion of the proceeds to charity, Trump has once again proven that he cannot be trusted and lacks the courage to face Sanders.
While appearing Wednesday night on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Trump accepted Sanders’ proposal to debate the Democratic presidential candidate before the California primary on June 7. Following Trump’s interview with Kimmel, Sanders took to Twitter on Wednesday night and wrote, “Game on. I look forward to debating Donald Trump in California before the June 7 primary.”
“I’d love to debate Bernie. He’s a dream,” Trump reiterated on Thursday in Bismark, North Dakota. “I understand the television business very well. I think it would get high ratings.”
On Friday, Sanders’ campaign manager, Jeff Weaver, issued a statement regarding the Sanders-Trump debate: “Our campaign and the Trump campaign have received two offers by broadcast television networks to host the Sanders-Trump debate that we suggested. Both offers include a major contribution to charity.”
Weaver continued, “We are prepared to accept one of those offers and look forward to working with the Trump campaign to develop a time, place and format that is mutually agreeable. Given that the California primary is on June 7, it is imperative that this all comes together as soon as possible. We look forward to a substantive debate that will contrast the very different visions that Sen. Sanders and Mr. Trump have for the future of our country.”
Immediately following Weaver’s comments, Trump issued a press release stating, “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.”
On Friday, Sanders told reporters, “Well, I hope he changes his mind again. Mr. Trump has been known to change his mind many times in a day. He’s a bully. He’s a big, tough guy. Well, Mr. Trump, what are you afraid of?”
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