Trump: The public knows who I am and refuses to participate in the Republican primary debate. Lawyer | Trump | The public
On August 20th local time, former US President Trump announced on social media that he will not participate in the Republican primary debate because "the public knows who I am" and understands his achievements during his term.
According to reports from the Financial Times and CNN on August 20th, Trump announced on social media that he will not participate in the Republican primary debate. It is currently unclear whether Trump will only be absent from the first Republican primary debate on the 23rd or all future primary debates.
Trump wrote on social media, "The public knows who I am and how much I have accomplished during my presidency, including energy independence, unbreakable borders and a strong military, the largest tax cuts in history, no inflation, and the strongest economy in history. Therefore, I will not participate in the debate."
Trump also cited a poll released by CBS on the 20th, stating that 62% of Republican primary voters currently support him. This also set a new record for Trump's lead over other presidential candidates within the Republican Party. The closest competitor to Trump, Florida Governor De Santis, has a support rating of only 16%, while the other presidential candidates have a single digit support rating.
The New York Times previously reported in the 18th Daily that Trump plans to skip the first debate in the Republican primary and instead accept an interview with former Fox News TV host Tucker Carlson. Except for Trump, all other Republican presidential candidates are expected to participate in the first debate to be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on the 23rd.
The Financial Times reported that Wisconsin has been a key swing state in the past two US elections. In 2016, Trump narrowly defeated Hillary Clinton, and in 2020, he narrowly lost to Biden. The White House stated that Trump refused to participate in the first debate in Wisconsin because the state "demonstrated his failed leadership" and he could not accept the possibility of losing there twice in 2020 and 2024.
Former US Vice President Pence expressed dissatisfaction with Trump's refusal to appear. Pence said, "Every person qualified to participate in a debate should come on stage, willing to face and answer tricky questions."
According to CNN, Republican officials are persuading Trump to participate in the Republican primary debate. Just before Trump posted that he would not participate in the primary debate, Republican National Committee Chairman McDaniel said on a television program, "I still have hope for President Trump's arrival, and I believe it is very important for the American people to hear the voices of all candidates."
Trump has been plagued by lawsuits recently. On August 14th local time, Trump reported that another 18 people were charged by the Georgia Grand Jury on suspicion of attempting to overturn Georgia's election results during the 2020 US election, and were required to surrender before August 25th. The local prosecutor stated that once convicted of false statements, extortion, and other charges, the defendant will be sentenced to prison. Sources have revealed that Trump's lawyer is currently negotiating with prosecutors regarding the details of surrendering. Three senior law enforcement officials in Georgia predict that Trump's surrender date will not be earlier than August 24th.