--- title: Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders Will Not Debate description: Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will not debate Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders canonical: https://time.com/4351261/donald-trump-bernie-sanders-debate-no/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-05-27T20:29:20.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T09:08:15.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Donald Trump Says No, He Won't Debate Bernie Sanders og:description: Ending nearly 48 hours of speculation og:url: https://time.com/4351261/donald-trump-bernie-sanders-debate-no/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt64e645c5d661ab7d/6988956c8e060109a7466189/donald-trump-fresno.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a rally, Friday, May 27, 2016, in Fresno, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Donald Trump Says No, He Won't Debate Bernie Sanders twitter:description: Ending nearly 48 hours of speculation twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt64e645c5d661ab7d/6988956c8e060109a7466189/donald-trump-fresno.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Donald Trump Says No, He Won't Debate Bernie Sanders > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=e13b05a7-f9e5-4542-82bb-67ebf3d29f44&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: What A Trump vs. Sanders Debate Might Look Like [Watch (HLS stream): What A Trump vs. Sanders Debate Might Look Like](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/J4jM7tWK.m3u8) (2:08)  _Published 2016-05-26_ by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Updated: Dec 13, 2023 9:08 AM UTCPublished: May 27, 2016 8:29 PM UTC by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Updated: Dec 13, 2023 9:08 AM UTCPublished: May 27, 2016 8:29 PM UTC Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will not [debate](http://time.com/4349162/donald-trump-bernie-sanders-debate/) Democratic candidate [Bernie Sanders](http://time.com/bernie-sanders-2016-campaign/), he announced Friday, as he decided it would be “inappropriate” to debate the Democratic insurgent, who is far behind Hillary Clinton in their nominating contest. In a statement, Trump ended nearly [48-hours of speculation](http://time.com/4350296/bernie-sanders-donald-trump-debate-kimmel/) that such a debate would take place, after he seemingly [accepted an invitation to debate Sanders](http://time.com/4349015/bernie-sanders-donald-trump-debate/) offered by late night host Jimmy Kimmel. Trump aides quickly said it was a joke, but the candidate followed-up in a Thursday news conference suggesting he might accept if networks donated millions to women’s health charities. “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,” Trump said in the 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. 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 quickly slammed Trump’s will-he-or-won’t-he act, and used it to mount the argument anew that he would prove a better general election opponent. “In recent days, Donald Trump has said he wants to debate, he doesn’t want to debate, he wants to debate and, now, he doesn’t want to debate,” Sanders said in a statement. “Given that there are several television networks prepared to carry this debate and donate funds to charity, I hope that he changes his mind once again and comes on board. There is a reason why in virtually every national and statewide poll I am defeating Donald Trump, sometimes by very large margins and almost always by far larger margins than Secretary Clinton. There is a reason for that reality and the American people should be able to see it up front in a good debate and a clash of ideas.” In a statement just minutes before Trump finally announced he wouldn’t debate, Sanders’ campaign manager said he was ready to accept offers by two broadcast networks to host the debate. Sanders suggested the debate after [Clinton declined to face him](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/24/us/politics/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-campaign.html?%5Fr=0) before the California primary on June 7. “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,” campaign manager Jeff Weaver said. “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.” The gambit still proved to be a win-win for both candidates, who earned headlines and television minutes highlighting Clinton’s refusal to debate. ## Transcript If we could raise 10 or 15 million dollars for charity, which would be a very appropriate amount. I'd love to debate Bernie, actually . >> Mr. Trump, Obamacare is one of the things you call a disaster. Complete disaster. What I'd like to see is a private system without the artificial lines around every state. I am on the health education labor committee. That committee wrote the Affordable Care Act, but right now what we have to deal with is the fact that 29 million people still have no health insurance. And then we have to take care of the people that can't take care of themselves, and I will do that. Through a different system. But my moving forward, rallying the American people, I do believe we should have healthcare for all. We are doing it the old- fashioned way, 650, 000 individual contributions. I feel a little bit foolish. PEople are offering me millions and millions of dollars. When you're in first place You can collect so much money. And I keep turning him down. I feel like, am I a fool? I feel very foolish. Nobody up here can address the major crisis facing our country unless millions of people begin to stand up to the billionaire class. There's no better word to describe our leader and our administration than the word what? Stupid. Stupid, these are stupid people. I am asking you to be part of a political revolution. All the Ivy League that I have, the Wharton School of Finance, somehow they've never come up with a better word to describe what we're going through. Where millions of people begin to stand up and finally say enough is enough. This great country and our government belong to all of us, not just a handful of billionaires. And we will make America great again. Thank you. Thank you very much. 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