Trump Suggests He’ll Skip GOP Primary Debates

Former President Donald Trump is making headlines again, this time for his response to the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) announcement of 10 to 12 GOP presidential primary debates between August 2023 and the July 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Trump has made it clear that he won’t be attending the first two debates, which are scheduled to take place in Milwaukee and at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. In a Truth Social post, he stated that the RNC never discussed debate arrangements and protocols with him or his campaign, questioning why, as the presumptive frontrunner, he needs to endure “being libeled and abused” by “MAGA-hating” moderators in needless exchanges with lesser candidates.

Trump’s attacks on his more policy-polished rivals during debates in 2016 was what set him apart in a large GOP presidential primary field. However, during his failed 2020 reelection campaign, the RNC did not schedule any primary debates with the GOP solidified behind the incumbent Trump early in the cycle.

RNC: Debating Debates With All Campaigns All Along

Despite Trump’s claims, an RNC source familiar with the process of scheduling the GOP’s 2024 debates told The Epoch Times that the RNC’s debate committee “has been communicating with all candidates and campaigns,” including Trump and his team, about prospective debate schedules, protocols, and format.