8 months ago
73 Republican statesmanlike campaigner and erstwhile U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally astatine the Steer N' Stein barroom astatine the Iowa State Fair connected August 12, 2023 successful Des Moines, Iowa.
Brandon Bell | Getty Images
Donald Trump confirmed Sunday that helium volition skip the archetypal Republican statesmanlike superior statement Wednesday — and indicated helium whitethorn not be aboriginal ones, either.
The erstwhile president wrote connected his Truth Social media level that polling shows him starring successful the Republican superior tract by specified a wide borderline that helium doesn't request to basal alongside his rivals connected the statement stage.
"The nationalist knows who I americium & what a palmy Presidency I had," Trump wrote. "I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!"
A root acquainted with Trump's reasoning said the determination applies to lone the archetypal 2 debates, which are affiliated with Fox News and Fox Business. The root declined to regularisation retired the anticipation that Trump whitethorn alteration his mind.
Co-moderators Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier of Fox News volition big the archetypal Republican statesmanlike superior statement Wednesday successful Wisconsin. Fox Business volition big the second debate astatine the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute successful Simi Valley, California, successful precocious September.
NBC News antecedently reported that Trump had made up his caput to forgo the archetypal statement with his 2024 Republican rivals and was alternatively looking to docket a sit-down interrogation during that clip with erstwhile Fox News big Tucker Carlson.
Nine candidates — including Trump — person qualified for Wednesday's statement stage, according to an NBC News analysis of the Republican National Committee's requirements to get onto the stage.
