Trump may skip first GOP primary debate

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Former President Donald Trump may skip the first Republican debates this summer, two individuals with knowledge of his thinking told NBC News.

The Trump campaign indicated to the Republican National Committee that he had no intention of participating in a potential August debate, but despite that communication, sources said the parties’ debate committee went ahead with its plans and announcement of the Milwaukee debate.

A source familiar with RNC planning disputed that description, saying the Trump campaign’s objection came after the first debate had already been announced.

The New York Times first reported Trump’s lack of interest in the first debates.

The second debate is currently scheduled to be held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, but a source said Trump balked at the idea of ​​going there because, in part, the library never invited him to speak unlike a cast of other Republicans, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who spoke there Monday night.

In a post on his Truth Social media platform last week, Trump also suggested publicly that he was weighing plans to skip the debates. He questioned the Reagan Library as the host because its chairman is Fred Ryan, the publisher and CEO of The Washington Post.

When you lead by seemingly insurmountable numbers, and you have a nasty Network with angry, TRUMP & MAGA anchors who hate questions, why subject yourself to being libeled and abused, Trump wrote.

The RNC is still weighing whether to ask its candidates to sign a pledge of allegiance to support the nominee.

While at the Conservative Political Action Conference in March, Trump avoided answering questions from reporters about whether he had signed a pledge of allegiance to qualify for the debate stage, suggesting there are Republicans he might not. willing to support.

There are probably people I’m not going to be happy about endorsing those who are running, so look, Trump said at the time.

The RNCs debate committee is chaired by David Bossie, a former top adviser to Trump.

Trump continues to dominate the polls for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, outscoring other candidates and his potential rivals by double digits.

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