The first presidential candidate debate for the Republican Party has been scheduled by its Chairwoman, Ronna Romney McDaniel, on August 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. To qualify, candidates must meet specific criteria, including a minimum of 40,000 individual donors, two hundred unique donors in at least twenty states, and 1% or more in three or more national or early primary state polls conducted in the seven weeks prior to the debate.
It is anticipated that at least five candidates will participate in the debate: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott. President Donald Trump, as the frontrunner, would also qualify. However, he appears hesitant to participate, as indicated by his post on Truth Social: “Maybe I should enter the debates- But, then again, when you have a 40-to-50-point lead over the field, maybe I shouldn’t???”
One aspect Trump should consider is the potential qualification of his adversary, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Christie is receiving support from establishment Republicans and Democrats who wish to witness him confronting the former President on stage. In recent media interviews, Christie has focused primarily on criticizing President Trump.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) will require all participating candidates to sign a pledge to support the eventual nominee. However, this approach proved ineffective in 2016 when several GOP presidential candidates, including former Ohio Governor John Kasich and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, refused to honor their pledge and support the nominee, Donald Trump. This enraged Trump, who accused them of breaking their word and described their actions as disgraceful.
Irrespective of the pledge, a similar scenario is likely to occur this year. If Trump becomes the 2024 GOP nominee, many of the current candidates may not support him, regardless of whether they signed the pledge or not. Given the party’s weak leadership and the presence of low-polling candidates eager to attack him on stage, President Trump’s best decision would be to forgo the debate.
Trump has nothing to gain by allowing lesser-known candidates to share the debate stage with him. While this could elevate the profiles of these low-polling candidates, it could potentially harm President Trump.
At this stage, Trump has nothing to prove. This is his third national campaign for the presidency, and his positions on the issues are well-known to the American public, as he has consistently outlined them for eight years.
Participating in a debate would only expose Trump to traps. Not only would he face vicious attacks from desperate competitors, but the Fox News debate moderators are known for their anti-Trump views.
Instead, President Trump could offer counter programming to the American public. He could host an engaging event such as a large rally or conduct a national town hall with Tucker Carlson, taking questions from real Americans rather than biased journalists. Whichever path Trump chooses, it would undoubtedly generate much higher ratings than a presidential debate lacking the main attraction.
Who would want to watch a debate between Mike Pence and Ron DeSantis arguing over tax policy or their legislative agenda? Most Americans would only tune in to see Trump in action, observing how he handles his opponents and discovering the new nicknames he has coined for them.
Without Trump, there would be little interest in watching lower-tier candidates struggling to gain traction in the polls. Donald Trump currently dominates the Republican nomination contest, just as he did in 2016 and 2020.
In this campaign, Trump’s primary opponent, Governor DeSantis, has encountered difficulties. During a Sunday Fox News interview, host Maria Bartiromo questioned DeSantis about the state of his campaign, referring to a recent Fox News poll that showed Trump with a commanding 56-22% lead over DeSantis.
DeSantis attributed the challenges to media bias, claiming that left-wing journalists oppose him because “they know I will actually deliver on all these things.”
Furthermore, DeSantis pointed out that the numerous indictments against Trump have only strengthened his position. He stated, “I think one of the reasons that Donald Trump is in the lead is because of the corruption and unfairness of our justice system.”
DeSantis is correct in highlighting the bias against Trump within the justice system, but such circumstances are unlikely to change anytime soon. In the weeks to come, more criminal charges against Trump can be expected; nevertheless, Republican voters will continue to rally behind him.
Trump possesses a political talent that comes along once in a generation, much like President Ronald Reagan did during his illustrious career. As evidence, his recent rally in Pickens, South Carolina, attracted a massive crowd of at least 50,000 people—more than ten times the city’s population.
On Saturday night, Trump attended UFC 290 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where he received a rock star’s welcome from the adoring crowd and interacted with celebrities and fighters.
No other candidate running for President in 2024, especially the incumbent, could garner such intense public support. The more Trump is attacked, the stronger he becomes.
Despite facing indictments and unfair treatment from the media and the Deep State, Trump consistently leads President Joe Biden in most polls. For instance, a recent national poll by Echelon Insights shows Trump leading Biden by a slim margin of 43-42%, but he holds a larger lead of 48-40% in battleground states.
Millions of Americans, particularly Republicans, remember Trump’s successful presidency and desire to see him back in the White House. As former Trump campaign operative Bryan Lanza emphasized, “voters aren’t looking for Trump-light. They’re looking for Trump.”
Jeff Crouere, a native of New Orleans, hosts the award-winning program “Ringside Politics” on Real America’s Voice TV Network & AmericasVoice.News. He also writes political columns and provides regular commentaries on his Jeff Crouere YouTube channel and Crouere.net. To contact him, email [email protected].
