Trump Opts Out of Republican Presidential Debates
Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he will not participate in this week’s first Republican presidential debate, arguing that Americans already know him well enough that a public confrontation with his rivals for the White House is unnecessary.
In a message on his platform Truth Social, Trump bragged about what he characterized as his incredibly successful presidency and his immense popularity among the American people.
Therefore, I will not participate in the debates, he declared.
The first Republican presidential nomination debate for 2024 is scheduled for Wednesday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
In his post, Trump referenced the latest in a series of polls that place him well ahead of the other Republican candidates, this one published by CBS News on Sunday.
62% of those polled said they would vote for him even though he has been indicted four times this year, including charges he attempted to subvert US democracy by plotting to invalidate the 2020 election and remain in power despite losing to Joe Biden.
In the CBS poll, Trump’s closest competitor was Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with 16 percent. The remaining candidates are polling in the single digits.
Trump wrote that DeSantis is “crashing like an ailing bird.”
“The public is aware of my identity and the success of my presidency,” Trump said, citing energy, border security, the military, and the economy.
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The 77-year-old former president, who is rarely out of the news, was vocal about possibly avoiding the debate in the midwestern city of Milwaukee out of reluctance to share the spotlight with candidates with lower polling numbers.
The New York Times reported on Friday that Trump told advisers he planned to upstage his rivals by skipping the Fox News-sponsored event in favor of an online interview with one of the network’s former hosts, Tucker Carlson.
Even in his absence, Trump’s four criminal and three civil trials involving allegations from before, during, and after his scandal-plagued presidency will provide fodder for opponents.
Fox News host Bret Baier, who will moderate the debate, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “It’s clear that his legal issues are impacting this race.”
“All of these candidates have been continuously questioned about what is occurring in courtrooms across the nation. So he will participate in this discussion regardless of his presence.”
Seven additional candidates, including state governors DeSantis and Doug Burgum, former vice president Mike Pence, Trump’s UN ambassador Nikki Haley, and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, have qualified for the debate.
While Trump dominates the field in the polls, his allies are concerned that a no-show could allow his opponents to create a viral moment and gain momentum.
Trump Opts Out of Republican Presidential Debates
