Aug 20 – Former US President Donald Trump has decided to miss the Republican primary debate in Milwaukee next weekend, despite the fact that eight other candidates, lead by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, have agreed to go forward with the debate, Trump or no Trump.
Trump will skip the debate and instead sit for an online interview with former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, according to media outlets, including the New York Times, citing sources.
For months, Trump has suggested that he would rather skip the debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, arguing that it made little sense to let others to attack him given his big lead among Republicans in national polls.
Fox News, a former Trump ally that has turned against him and backed Florida Governor Ron Desantis, has come under fire from Trump for its recent coverage of events such as his indictments on the Georgia election issue, according to reports.
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Due to Trump’s absence from the debate, his closest competitor, Ron DeSantis, will bear the brunt of attacks from other candidates seeking to position themselves as the primary opposition to the former president.
According to political analysts, it’s been a good eight long years since a Republican took the stage alongside Trump, and if the former president sticks to past declarations – and listens to top advisers’ recommendations – the current crop of contenders will have to continue to wait for a turn, CNN reported.
Multiple people close to Trump’s plans informed CNN that he planned to skip the debate and instead sit for an interview with former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson.
Trump’s aides, who persuaded him to cancel his scheduled press conference earlier this week, suggested Trump would change his mind and decide to attend the debate at the last minute.
As Trump’s showmanship and aggression in debates is well known, as he is given to pounding his opponents, insulting moderators, and goading opponents into schoolyard brawls, rivals have been forced to prepare for the onslaught of Trump, who has been wounded by four indictments in the Georgia case and other legal woes.
Trump’s legal problems are becoming more serious by the day, and his concentration on the 2020 elections as a shambles is going to dominate his thought during the debates, whether or not he appears, but his opponents are sure to rake it up to get brownie points.
Trump has until next Friday, two days after the debate, to voluntarily submit to the accusations in his fourth indictment.That of the Fulton County jury, which indicted him under the RICO (Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organisations Act), a legal statute commonly used against mobsters and narcos.
“Practising the art of pivoting and shifting the conversation to what voters are really concerned about is probably the number one goal of these candidates on the debate stage.” “They aren’t concerned with old grievances,” said Republican communications consultant Alice Stewart, a veteran of numerous previous presidential campaigns and a CNN political contributor.
Along with Trump, DeSantis, Pence, and Scott, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum appear to have met the donor and polling standards to make the stage.
In order to participate, candidates must also sign a loyalty promise. Trump has yet to sign it. Christie has met the polling and donation requirements to attend the debate, but has yet to sign the RNC commitment, according to CNN.
According to Fox News, which is sponsoring the debate, Trump has a clear 53 percent lead over his opponents, and his nearest challenger, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, is in second place with only 16 percent Republican support. Vivek Ramaswamy, an Indian American, is the only other contender to break double digits, at 11%.
Ramaswamy, who promised to be Trump’s legal defence as an amicus curiae following his fourth indictment, is expected to defend Trump at the debate if he is assailed by former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
“I’ve got a very simple debate strategy,” Christie said on CNN on Friday.
“I’ll listen to your questions and respond directly and honestly.” And, if someone up there says something dishonest, I will call them out on it. That’s all there is to it.”
A representative for Ramaswamy told CNN that the candidate will “introduce himself and his vision” at Wednesday’s debate and that “these boring, canned attack lines from a robotic candidate” won’t change that.
