Title: Trump Declines Participation in 2024 Republican Debate as GOP Candidates Gear Up for First Showdown
Subtitle: The stage is set for the first Republican debate of the 2024 presidential contest, but former President Donald Trump has announced his decision to skip the event.
Milwaukee, WI – The first Republican debate of the 2024 presidential contest is scheduled to take place tonight in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, setting the tone for the heated battle ahead. However, the GOP frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, revealed on social media Sunday that he would not be participating in the debate.
Milwaukee, the largest city in Wisconsin, plays a crucial role as a battleground state. Trump had won the state in 2016, but President Joe Biden flipped it back to the Democrats in the 2020 election. Interestingly, Milwaukee will also host the 2024 Republican National Convention.
With just under four months remaining until the Iowa caucus on January 15, the CBS News released a poll on Sunday showing that Trump continues to lead the race with his largest margin yet, despite facing four separate indictments. Among likely Republican primary voters, Trump boasts a substantial 62% support, leaving Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis far behind with just 16%. The remaining candidates register single-digit numbers.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) announced late Monday that numerous candidates have qualified for the debate. These include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. All candidates had to meet the RNC’s qualifications, which included reaching at least 1% in multiple eligible polls, gathering over 40,000 donors, and signing a pledge to support the final GOP nominee while not participating in unsanctioned debates.
One candidate missing from the debate lineup is Doug Burgum, who suffered an injury during a pick-up basketball game on Tuesday. Campaign sources suggest that Burgum still intends to participate, despite the injury.
Trump’s decision to skip the debate comes as no surprise, as he had hinted at it earlier. In an interview with conservative cable network Newsmax, he questioned the necessity of signing the RNC’s loyalty pledge that commits candidates to support the ultimate GOP nominee and not participate in unsanctioned debates. Trump emphasized that he would not sign the pledge since he wouldn’t support certain candidates for president.
The debate, hosted by Fox News, will be aired at 9 p.m. ET. Moderated by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, the two-hour event will delve into topics that include candidates’ plans to improve the country. Moderator MacCallum expressed the goal of providing viewers with a better understanding of the candidates and moving the election process forward.
The Republican candidates will have another opportunity to debate on September 27 at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California. Meanwhile, the Democrats have no plans for primary debates, with no incumbent president participating in such debates since Gerald Ford in 1976. President Joe Biden currently faces challenges from two Democrats, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson.
As the 2024 presidential race enters its early stages, the absence of Trump from the first Republican debate is bound to generate further discussions and speculation regarding the party’s direction and the potential impact on voters’ choices.
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