Donald Trump has unveiled the reason he rejected a second presidential debate with Kamala Harris just hours after the Democrat accepted an invitation to appear on stage with him on October 23.
The former president told crowds in Wilmington, North Carolina that it was "just too late" for another debate.
Trump added that he declined the offer because voting has already started in some states and the debate with CNN is set to take place less than two weeks before polling day.
Speaking on Saturday, he said: "The problem with another debate is that it’s just too late, voting has already started.
"Now she wants to do a debate right before the election with CNN because she’s losing badly."
His remarks came just hours after Harris agreed to appear at the debate.
The vice president’s campaign manager, Jen O’Malley Dillon, announced that Harris had formally accepted the debate on October 23.
O’Malley Dillon said: "The American people deserve another opportunity to see Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump debate before they cast their ballots.
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"It would be unprecedented in modern history for there to just be one general election debate.
"Debates offer a unique chance for voters to see the candidates side by side and take stock of their competing visions for America."
Trump has recently launched a new $100 "Trump coin" in a bid to catch up with Harris’s fundraising.
He told his supporters that he would begin selling "incredible" new silver medallions.
The new merchandise is the latest in a strange collection, which includes gold trainers, cologne to commemorate the assassination attempt against him, digital trading cards that portray him as a superhero and Taylor Swift spoof t-shirts.
According to the latest figures, Harris raised four times more money than him in August.
During the first full month of her presidential campaign, Harris raised almost $190m, compared with his $45 million.
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