Former President Donald Trump threatened in a Tuesday TRUTH Social post to skip Republican presidential primary debates.
“I see that everybody is talking about the Republican Debates, but nobody got my approval, or the approval of the Trump Campaign, before announcing them. When you’re leading by seemingly insurmountable numbers, and you have hostile Networks with angry, TRUMP & MAGA hating anchors asking the ‘questions,’ why subject yourself to being libeled and abused?” he asked.
Trump weighs in on the GOP debates and complains that “nobody got my approval, or the approval of the Trump Campaign, before announcing them.”
Also seems to raise some doubts about whether he’ll participate: pic.twitter.com/SuTBLnWvEh
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) April 25, 2023
“Also, the Second Debate is being held at the Reagan Library, the Chairman of which is, amazingly, Fred Ryan, Publisher of The Washington Post. NO!” he added.
The first Republican primary debate will be held in August in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced in February. Fox News and Young America’s Foundation will jointly sponsor the debate, which will be exclusively streamed on Rumble. The RNC is likely to require all debate participants to agree to support the GOP’s eventual presidential nominee, McDaniel said in February. (RELATED: Ronna McDaniel Beats Back Challenge To Win Fourth Term Atop Republican National Committee)
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library will host the second primary debate, although McDaniel has not specified when it will occur. Trump has harshly criticized the library, which hosted presidential debates in 2008, 2011, and 2015, for its hosting of his Republican critics, former Reps. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Liz Cheney of Wyoming.
In addition to Trump, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, talk radio host Larry Elder, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy have formally declared presidential bids. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott has formed an exploratory committee, and former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are also weighing entries into the GOP primary.
Trump currently leads DeSantis by 29 points in the RealClearPolitics average, with no other candidate above four percent.