Donald Trump has confirmed that he will not participate in this week's Republican presidential debates.
Former US President Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner
for the presidency in 2024, has stated he would not participate in this week's
Republican primary debates.
Trump has hinted for months that he will boycott Wednesday
night's debate in Milwaukee, arguing that because he is well-known among the
American public, it makes no sense to give his Republican opponents an
opportunity to attack him.
On Sunday, a CBS poll showed he was the preferred candidate
for 62 percent of Republican voters, with his closest rival Florida Governor
Ron DeSantis at 16 percent. The other candidates in the party’s race for the
nomination had less than 10 percent support.
"The public knows who I am & what a successful
Presidency I had," Trump said on his Truth Social platform, listing areas
such as energy, border security, and the military. "As a result, I will
not be participating in the debates!"
The New York Times reported last week that Trump had sat for
a taped interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, which was expected
to be posted online on Wednesday in a bid to upstage his rivals.
Due to Trump's absence from this week's debate, DeSantis may
be targeted by other contenders seeking to present themselves as the leading
opposition to the former president. Former Vice President Mike Pence, Trump's
UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott are among the
other possibilities.
The winner of the Republican nomination will take on
Democratic President Joe Biden in the November 2024 election.
DeSantis’s campaign spokesperson, Andrew Romeo, said the
Florida governor was looking forward to being in Milwaukee to share his vision
for a possible presidency.
“No one is entitled to this nomination, including Donald Trump. You have to show up and earn it,” Romeo said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Earlier this month, Trump was indicted in the state of
Georgia on charges of racketeering and a string of election crimes after a
two-year investigation into his efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat to
Biden.
In addition, the former president is facing accusations in
three other states: New York, Washington, DC, and Florida. Trump has alleged
that he is the target of a "witch hunt."
The Georgia prosecutor has given Trump until August 25 to
turn himself in.
