Kamala Harris accepts CNN's invitation for a second debate. Trump says no

Kamala Harris accepted CNN's invitation for a debate on 23 October in Atlanta and raised the challenge to her Republican opponent. "Vice President Harris is ready for another opportunity to share the stage with Donald Trump," campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon said in a note. "Donald Trump should have no problem accepting this debate." The invitation to Trump comes afterthe only TV debate between the two, on 10 September, in which by unanimous opinion of analysts and observers Harris won over Trump. Now the Democratic candidate is seeking a second confrontation with the former US president and Republican candidate, but the latter does not seem inclined to grant it to her. In fact, after the 10 September debate, Trump immediately made it clear that he would not do another one and even declared that the one aired on ABC was a 'rigged' debate. Immediately after that duel, CNN broadcast a poll in favour of Kamala Harris who according to 67% of Americans was the winner between the two. Against this background, it is difficult for Donald Trump to accept a second confrontation, but Kamala threw down the gauntlet.

Trump is not taking up Harris' challenge for a new debate on CNN. The tycoon's campaign has in fact reiterated that 'there will not be' another challenge.

The Democratic candidate is having a good time. The Democrats raised $257 million in August, more than three times what Donald Trump raised, standing at $85 million. This is according to documents submitted by the two campaigns to the Federal Election Commission. This implies that the vice president started the final rush of the last two months before the November vote with 286 million in her campaign coffers, with the former president and the Republican caucus starting September with 214 million in their coffers. Harris's campaign in August, which was in fact the first month of his campaign after Joe Biden announced he would drop out of the election on 21 July, spent virtually all the money raised, $258 million. While Trump spent more than he raised, $121 million.

Good news also from the polls. Harris is given a national lead by Nate Silver for the first time since late August. According to the American polling guru's analysis and prediction system, the vice president is at 48.9% against Donald Trump's 46.1%. A slim lead in what remains a de facto neck-and-neck race, writes Silver in a post that also gives Harris the lead in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada and Minnesota. While Trump is ahead in North Carolina, Georgia and Arizona. Faced with the continuing swing of polls in what is expected to be a razor's edge election, Harris, at a rally last night in Wisconsin, urged voters not to pay too much attention to the 'polls'. 'We're 46 days away from the election,' the Democrat said, 'and we know it's going to be neck and neck until the end. So let's not pay too much attention to the polls because, let me be clear, we are the underdogs and we have a tough job ahead of us."

Also in Wisconsin Harris attacked Trump again on abortion. "Women are being denied treatment. And we know that many women have died because of Trump's abortion ban." The Democratic candidate told the story of Amber Nicole Thurman, a 28-year-old Georgia woman who died after doctors refused to treat her for complications from a medication abortion.