Trump keeps GOP guessing on first primary debate
BY JULIA MANCHESTER - 06/24/23 6:00 AM ETQuestions are swirling around whether former President Trump will participate in August’s Republican primary debate.
Trump, who is leading the crowded GOP primary pack by a large margin in most polls, has been coy about whether he will be on stage with the other candidates come August.
“I like to debate. I probably am here because of debates. I don’t mind it at all,” Trump told Fox News’s Bret Baier in an interview that aired earlier this week. “But when you’re 40 points up …. Why would I let these people take shots at me?”
Yet some Republicans believe Trump will be itching for the spotlight. It will also serve as an opportunity for him to go toe to toe with his top rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
“Given his previous performances at GOP debates, it’s hard to see how he would miss an opportunity to connect with Republican primary voters,” said Ford O’Connell, a Republican strategist.
Meanwhile, it’s unclear who will even make the debate — set to take place in Aug. 23 in Milwaukee — besides Trump and DeSantis. To qualify, candidates will have to be polling at a minimum of 1 percent in at least three national polls, or at 1 percent in two national polls and one early state poll from two of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4065187-trump-keeps-gop-guessing-on-first-primary-debate/