Trump ‘unlikely’ to participate in first two GOP presidential debates: longtime adviser
By Victor Nava
July 12, 2023 1:07am
Former President Donald Trump is “unlikely” to take the stage at the first two Republican presidential primary debates later this year, according to his longtime adviser.
“At the moment, President Trump has indicated that he’s unlikely to participate, at least in the first two debates. He’s up by 30, 40, and even new polling shows he’s up by almost 50% in certain places,” Jason Miller, a longtime adviser to the 77-year-old former president and current member of his 2024 campaign team, said in an interview on NewsNation Tuesday.
Miller cautioned that the former president has still not made a final decision on whether he will participate in the early debates, but the communications specialist argued that it would not be beneficial for Trump to take the stage with such a commanding lead.
“It really wouldn’t make much sense for him to go and debate right now with a bunch of folks who are down at three, four and five percent. Even [Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis], who’s the second-place candidate in the race currently, is at least 20, 30 or 40 points behind,” Miller noted.
“So ultimately, President Trump will make a decision as we get closer. He has not said anything definitive, one way or the other. I’m not expecting him to participate, though,” he added.
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https://nypost.com/2023/07/12/trump-unlikely-to-participate-in-first-two-gop-presidential-debates-longtime-adviser-says/
