(The Guardian) Donald Trump’s rivals are upping the pressure on him to take part in next month’s GOP primary debate, although he is expected to be a no-show.
Trump, who has emerged as the clear frontrunner in the Republican race, has signaled that he will not participate in the party’s first 2024 election primary debate, hosted by Fox News in Milwaukee on 23 August. “When you have a big lead, you don’t do it,” he said during an interview on Fox News Sunday, adding, “I haven’t really made up my mind.”
Republican national committee chair, Ronna McDaniel, said earlier this week that Trump would be making “a mistake” if he opts out of the upcoming debate.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called on Trump to join the other candidates on the debate stage in an interview on Newsmax on Wednesday. “Nobody’s entitled to be nominated. You got to earn it,” DeSantis said. Vivek Ramaswamy, when asked in April about the potential for Trump to sit out the debate, told NBC: “I’m not going to let him get away with that.”
David Hopkins, an associate professor of political science at Boston College, told the Hill: Without Trump on the stage then it underscores the extent to which the rest of the candidates are in some sense in competition with each other to become the main alternative to Trump.
Trump’s rivals also want the former president to take part in the debate because it “juices interest and ratings” and they are hoping to attract some attention to themselves, he added.
Trump, who has emerged as the clear frontrunner in the Republican race, has signaled that he will not participate in the party’s first 2024 election primary debate, hosted by Fox News in Milwaukee on 23 August. “When you have a big lead, you don’t do it,” he said during an interview on Fox News Sunday, adding, “I haven’t really made up my mind.”
Republican national committee chair, Ronna McDaniel, said earlier this week that Trump would be making “a mistake” if he opts out of the upcoming debate.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called on Trump to join the other candidates on the debate stage in an interview on Newsmax on Wednesday. “Nobody’s entitled to be nominated. You got to earn it,” DeSantis said. Vivek Ramaswamy, when asked in April about the potential for Trump to sit out the debate, told NBC: “I’m not going to let him get away with that.”
David Hopkins, an associate professor of political science at Boston College, told the Hill: Without Trump on the stage then it underscores the extent to which the rest of the candidates are in some sense in competition with each other to become the main alternative to Trump.
Trump’s rivals also want the former president to take part in the debate because it “juices interest and ratings” and they are hoping to attract some attention to themselves, he added.
