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'Let Them Debate': Trump Appears To Announce He Will Not Attend Upcoming Debate

Fox News Will Host The First Republican Primary Debate On Aug. 23 in Milwaukee

Published: July 31, 2023
  |   By Christopher Bertman

Former President Donald Trump appeared to announce he will not attend the upcoming Republican primary debates in Milwaukee, Wisconsin next month.

Trump has previously toyed with the idea of skipping the Republican primary debates by suggesting his presence was not “fair” compared to other candidates polling.

The upcoming debate will be held on Aug. 23 and will be hosted by Fox News.

The former president appeared to declare he would not attend in a Monday Truth Social post.

“Let them debate so I can see who I MIGHT consider for Vice President!”

In a June 26 Truth Soclal post, the former president commented on his polling in regards of attending the August debate.

“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,” Trump wrote in a June 26 Truth Social post. “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 also commented on former presidential candidates not participating in debates during an interview with Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures.

“You’re leading people by 50 and 60 points, you say why would you be doing a debate?” he said. “It’s actually not fair. Why would you let somebody that’s at zero or one or two or three be popping you with questions?”

“Ronald Reagan didn’t do it and a lot of other people didn’t do it. When you have a big lead, you don’t do it. We have a lead of 50 and 60 points in some cases,” Trump said, per Politico. “I haven’t really made up my mind.”

During a Fox & Friends segment earlier this month, Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who is also seeking the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election, said Trump “owes it to people” to participate in the upcoming debate.

“I think we’ll do well either way, but I think he owes it to people to participate,” the Florida governor told Fox News’ Ainsley Earhardt. “Nobody is entitled to be nominated, you got to earn it. You’ve got to earn everything in this world, so I think you show up, I think you participate, I think you make your case, and I think you answer questions. So we’re gonna be doing that regardless of who else shows up, but yeah, I think he ought to participate.”

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