Staff Reports
Former President Donald Trump has made headlines once again by announcing that he will not be participating in the RNC debates, much to the dismay of Fox News and Republican primary voters. In a recent survey conducted by Morning Consult, it was found that a majority of GOP primary voters believe Trump should debate, both in Milwaukee and elsewhere. Even Trump supporters are in favor of him participating, with 79 percent saying he should debate in the first debate. Despite being informed of Trump’s decision, a significant portion of potential GOP primary voters and Trump supporters still believe he should show up.
Furthermore, the survey revealed that most respondents want Trump to participate in at least some of the debates, if not all. 48 percent of potential GOP primary voters believe he should participate in all of the debates, while only 17 percent believe he should not participate in any. Trump supporters are even more adamant about his involvement, with 58 percent saying he should participate in all of the debates.
According to our latest data, just 17% of potential GOP primary voters and 7% of Trump supporters say Trump should not participate in any primary debates, his suggested course of action. https://t.co/2yjnyN8s34 pic.twitter.com/oC19L1GxLX
— Morning Consult (@MorningConsult) August 22, 2023
While Trump claims that his decision is based on his frontrunner status in the race, critics argue that he is simply avoiding the opportunity to prove himself against his opponents. This sentiment was echoed during a fiery exchange between supporters of Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Newsmax, where DeSantis’ national spokesperson questioned why Trump wouldn’t debate if he has such a strong record. The debate over Trump’s absence from the debates continues to intensify as the first one approaches.
In terms of the RNC qualified candidates, notable names include Doug Burgum, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Tim Scott. While Larry Elder and Francis Suarez initially claimed they had qualified, it was later revealed that they hadn’t. DeSantis and Ramaswamy will have the center podiums during the debate, adding an extra layer of anticipation to the event.
