If you were looking forward to a potential debate between Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), we’ve got some bad news.
In what might be the most Trump-esque statement of his presidential campaign so far, the business mogul said he would not be debating the Democratic presidential hopeful:
“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.“
Sanders mocked Trump’s reversal on Friday.
“I heard that he was going to debate me, then I heard that he was not going to debate me, then I heard that he was going to debate me. Now you’re telling me that he is not going to debate me. Well, you know, I hope that he changes his mind again,” Sanders said.
“Well, Mr. Trump, what are you so afraid of?” Sanders added.
Sanders says he hopes Trump changes his mind about debating him. "What are you so afraid of?" he asks. https://t.co/f05mPhZbiF
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) May 27, 2016
Trump first joked about debating Sanders during an appearance on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” saying he would do it if $10 or $15 million were donated to charity. Sanders joked back about the potential affair on Twitter:
I am delighted that @realDonaldTrump has agreed to debate. Let’s do it in the biggest stadium possible.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) May 26, 2016
Sanders trails former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primary race.
Source: HuffPost