Trump threatens to skip Republican primary debates

Former president Trump warned on Tuesday that he may not participate in the upcoming Republican primary debates, voicing his concerns on his social media platform about not being consulted and anticipating that debate moderators would treat him unfavorably.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) announced in February that the first debate for Republican presidential candidates would take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in August 2023, with plans to hold between 10 and 12 debates leading up to the Republican National Convention in summer 2024. The RNC recently revealed that the second debate is set to be held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, near Los Angeles, California.

RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel, who was supported by Trump in her own re-election campaign against Harmeet Dhillon, informed RNC members on February 23 that no other debates have been sanctioned and the final criteria for the first debate have yet to be determined. She expressed confidence in the ability to showcase the eventual nominee in a "world class fashion."

On Tuesday, Trump took to his social media platform to express his dissatisfaction, stating, "I see that everybody is talking about the Republican Debates, but nobody got my approval, or the approval of the Trump Campaign, before announcing them." He questioned the necessity of participating in debates when he is leading by what he sees as insurmountable numbers and accused the networks of harboring hostile, Trump- and MAGA-hating anchors, Forbes reported.

Trump also criticized the choice of the Reagan Library for the second debate, noting its chairman is Fred Ryan, publisher of The Washington Post.

Trump says that no one got his "approval, or the approval of the Trump Campaign" before announcing the RNC Primary Debates, and says NO to the current plan. pic.twitter.com/K5GFrhElrr

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) April 25, 2023

The former president has a history of skipping debates; in January 2016, he declined to participate in a Fox News debate, demanding that then-Fox News host Megyn Kelly be removed as a moderator. Instead, Trump held a fundraiser for veterans. In March 2016, a Republican presidential debate in Salt Lake City, Utah, was canceled after Trump indicated that he likely would not attend, asserting that "we've had enough debates."

Following Trump's announcement in 2016, John Kasich's campaign declared that without Trump at the debate, Kasich would also not participate. While Ted Cruz expressed willingness to debate Trump or Kasich—or both—Fox News stated that there needs to be more than one participant, and consequently, the Salt Lake City debate was canceled.