Former US President Donald Trump to skip third Republican presidential debate. Here’s why
Former US President Donald Trump to skip third presidential debate, continuing his strategy of avoiding lower-polling rivals.
Former US President Donald Trump is set to skip the upcoming third Republican presidential debate, as revealed by a senior adviser who requested anonymity. This decision aligns with his ongoing strategy of avoiding debates that feature lower-polling rivals, reported Bloomberg.
Donald Trump skipped the first debate, which took place last month in Milwaukee. Instead, he opted to prerecord an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, which was streamed while his fellow candidates took the stage.
Also read: Donald Trump's rivals need to take him on forcefully at next Republican presidential debate, moderator says
Trump also confirmed his absence from the second debate, scheduled for September 27 at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. Instead of engaging in the second debate, the former president intends to visit Detroit to court members of the United Auto Workers union. The union is currently engaged in a strike against the three major legacy automakers. Trump is going to deliver a prime-time speech to an audience comprising both current and former union workers, as per sources familiar with this matter.
Trump expressed doubts about the value of participating in debates, given his substantial lead over the rest of the GOP field. According to the RealClearPolitics average of polls, he maintains a commanding lead of more than 46 percentage points over his nearest rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Also read: Donald Trump Jr’s social media account briefly hacked, claims death of father: Report
According to sources, third debate is scheduled for early November in Miami considering both Trump and DeSantis call Florida their home state. Initially, the Republican National Committee had decided to hold the third debate in Alabama. However, Trump campaign was not involved in the decision to relocate it to Miami, according to the adviser.
White House press secretary under Republican President George W. Bush and currently an anchor and political commentator at Fox News, Dana Perino said, "They're not going to be able to put a dent in his lead if they don't. President Trump has a commanding and seemingly very enduring lead. It's up to these candidates to show why they think that they would be better."
(With inputs from Bloomberg)
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Business NewsNewsFormer US President Donald Trump to skip third Republican presidential debate. Here’s why
First Published:21 Sep 2023, 08:27 AM IST
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