Former President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the upcoming 2024 Republican presidential primary debates won’t happen — or, at least, he won’t be participating.
Trump made the stunning announcement on his TruthSocial app.
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The 45th president said he expected to be consulted about the debates before they were announced by the Republican National Committee, and said he would not participate with “hostile networks” with Trump “hating anchors.”
The move would be a major departure from traditional presidential campaigns — but wouldn’t be the first time Trump has skipped a debate.
Trump passed on a January 2016 debate on Fox News right before the Iowa caucuses and later said his decision “turned out great” despite losing the first caucus to Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.
“I did something that was very risky and I think it turned out great because I’m on the front page of every paper. I’m getting more publicity than if I [was in the debate],” Trump said at the time.
Trump also canceled an RNC-backed presidential debate when he became the GOP frontrunner. He declined to participate in the final March 2016 debate against the remaining Republican presidential candidate at the time, former Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
“I think we’ve had enough debates,” Trump told Fox & Friends.
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On Tuesday, Trump wrote —
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. When you’re leading by seemingly insurmountable numbers, and you have hostile Networks with angry, TRUMP & MAGA hating anchors asking the “questions,” why subject yourself to being libeled and abused? Also, the Second Debate is being held at the Reagan Library, the Chairman of which is, amazingly, Fred Ryan, Publisher of The Washington Post. NO!
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