Richie Hecker, chairman and CEO of technology and investment firm, Traction and Scale, put up $10 million to make the Donald Trump vs. Bernie Sanders debate become a reality. Although Trump agreed to it on national television, he just announced he, in fact, will not participate in the event.

Trump called the Democratic nominating process “totally rigged,” and claimed “Crooked Hillary Clinton” and Deborah Wasserman Schultz will not let Sanders win the nomination.

He went on to say it would be “inappropriate” for him to debate the Senator from Vermont because he would be the “second place finisher,” and Trump is the presumptive GOP nominee.

Trump had agreed to the debate when asked by Jimmy Kimmel earlier in the week. Trump’s official statement is posted below in full.

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