Chris Tilley/Reuters
Donald Trump, the soon-to-be Republican presidential nominee, backed out of a debate with Bernie Sanders on Friday afternoon, saying it would be "inappropriate to debate the second place finisher."
"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," Trump said in a statement.
Trump had previously said he would debate the Democratic candidate if he agreed to donate the proceeds to women's health causes. However, the billionaire businessman claimed that the potential networks to host the event "are not proving to be too generous."
Sanders responded swiftly, calling Trump a bully.
"What are you afraid of?" Sanders added. "Why do you not want to see a debate here in California and obviously all across this country?"