Trump Throws a Fit; Won’t Take Part in Republican Presidential Debates

Defeated, twice impeached, criminally indicted former President Trump is unwilling to answer questions from news hosts he considers hostile to him. Trump appears confident enough in his winning the GOP nomination that he may not participate in Republican presidential debates.

Donald J. Trump has chosen to bypass at least the first two Republican Presidential debates. He may have decided not to attend any as a strategy to avoid being confronted with hard-hitting questions by hosts who may want to delve into existing and embarrassing civil lawsuits and possible criminal indictments. While leading with the objection of no one reaching out to him or his campaign about the first debate, he makes it pretty clear he’s likely not going to attend any of the scheduled 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," Trump posted. "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? 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!"

Trump seems to intend to leave the Republican Party debates to his opponents, giving them all a free hour of media and all of the attention that follows, according to his latest post on Truth Social, his social media company.

The Republican National Committee announced their 2024 debates on February,23, 2023, stating that their first will be held in Milwaukee in August 2023, the site for the 2024 RNC convention., two months before Trump's meltdown.

Trump’s tirade today on Truth Social was over his not being consulted about the presidential debates for the 2024 cycle. As a result, he doesn't plan on attending, despite the dates being far enough in the future that he could build his schedule around them.

Trump’s unwillingness to participate in debates was telegraphed back in April of 2022 when he pushed the Republican Party to leave the Commission on Presidential Debates that was established jointly by the Democratic and Republican parties in 1987, claiming that they were too biased.

Trump recognizes that he had had such a poor performance in the 2020 presidential debates that in the weeks that followed press reports focused on his unhinged behavior. One report even noted that his own supporters were put off by it, and his campaign expressed concern about the fallout.

His performance was so bad during the first debate with President Biden that Trump refused to attend their second scheduled debate in Miami, Florida, in 2020, which was supposed to be a town hall-style event with audience members asking questions of the two candidates.

Trump has a history of avoiding debates. Back in 2016, he pulled out of a Newsmax primary debate between Republican candidates. In 2016 Trump also refused to debate, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) speculated it was out of fear. Cruz said in a Fox interview.

"We can debate foreign policy if he wants, but the problem is, he doesn't have even a basic modicum of knowledge" on foreign policy, "He was saying just a week ago that he was eager to get one on one with me. Well, this debate, the field is narrowed even more, and he could have had a direct debate with me, and yet Donald apparently is ducking; he’s afraid of being challenged."

Trump is unlikely to reach an agreement to debate President Biden should a rematch come into being in 2024. Trump’s outlandish interruptions and antagonism would likely turn off independents and his being call out on his mountain of lies and legal troubles would give President to his vulnerable underbelly.