Donald Trump to Compete With First GOP Primary Debate?

According to NBC News report, Donald Trump is considering skipping the first GOP presidential primary debate and holding his own simultaneous event.

The first RNC-sponsored GOP debate is scheduled for August 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

🚨Report: President Donald Trump is considering skipping the first GOP presidential debate and holding a separate event at the same time in August. pic.twitter.com/SlkNHri3BX

— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) June 28, 2023

The only factor that could alter Trump’s opinion reportedly is a drastic change in polling.

Trump is currently the GOP frontrunner and holds a significant lead in most polls.

NBC News spoke to those familiar with Trump’s thinking on the subject.

“He is not going to debate unless he’s forced to by changing polling,” said an individual who reportedly has encouraged Trump to debate.

“I disagree with it, but it is where he is.”

NBC News reports:

All of that helps explain why, in interviews with more than a half-dozen advisers, it was clear that — even in his private conversations — Trump is leaning heavily toward skipping that first debate.

Trump is also exploring options for counterprogramming during the first debate, according to people familiar with his deliberations.

Trump’s absence would deprive the RNC, Fox News and GOP primary voters of the Republican Party’s most compelling — and most powerful — figure. And Trump knows he can keep attention on himself by making his appearance conditional, at best.

Ripping Fox for failing to cover him as he would like, Trump suggested on his Truth Social media platform that the cable network wants him to “show up and get them ratings.” Noting his big edge — he has a 29 percentage-point advantage over second-place Ron DeSantis in the latest NBC News polling — he criticized Fox for wanting him to participate while trying to “promote, against all hope,” the DeSantis campaign.

“So FoxNews, which is down 37% in the Ratings, doesn’t cover my getting the “Man of the Decade” Award (because of my great trade policies!) in Michigan, or my Keynote Speech for Faith & Freedom in D.C., and then wants me to show up and get them ratings for their “Presidential” Debate, where I’m leading the field by 40 points. All they do is promote, against all hope, Ron DeSanctimonious, and he’s dropping like a rock. Sorry FoxNews, life doesn’t work that way!!!” Trump said on Truth Social Monday.

Trump hasn’t made a final decision on the matter, according to an adviser.

He’s reportedly gathering different opinions on the subject.

“He shops opinions with everyone and will get, like, 100 different opinions,” an adviser told NBC News.

“He wants to know what everyone thinks but will ultimately do what he wants to do. In general, he is asking everyone, from the bellman to Ronna McDaniel,” the adviser added.

NBC News also noted the RNC’s requirement to sign a pledge to support the party’s nominee to participate in the debates.

RNC Releases Requirements to Make the Primary Debate Stage

Cont. from NBC News:

There is another consideration: RNC rules require debate participants to pledge to support the party's nominee in the general election. Trump ultimately agreed to do that in 2016 and then backtracked. He has long held open the threat that he wouldn't endorse a candidate who defeated him for the nomination.

Some of the other candidates, including Hutchinson, former Rep. Will Hurd of Texas and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, have either said they wouldn't back Trump or criticized the loyalty oath.

Christie called the pledge a "useless idea" in an interview this month on CNN, arguing that Republicans should be willing to support their nominee without turning it into a blood oath.

“It’s only the era of Donald Trump that you need somebody to sign something on a pledge,” Christie said. “So I think it’s a bad idea.”

But it isn't clear they will surpass the donor and polling thresholds the RNC has set for candidates to earn spots on the stage. Candidates must sign pledges only after they have qualified for debates, said a person familiar with the rules.