Former President Donald Trump refused to participate in the first 2024 Republican primary debate held last week in Madison, Wis., and moderated by Fox News.
At the time, he added that he likely would not be participating in any of the GOP debates. But now he is suggesting he might have changed his mind.“Do you anticipate at some point jumping into the debates?” Trump was asked during the Todd Starnes’ radio show, the Washington Examiner reported.
“I might. I mean, you know, it’s possible. I liked debating. I guess I won because of the debates,” he said. “You know, they’ve been very good to me. So I might. But at this moment, I’m leading by so much that it seems to be foolish to do it.”
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The outlet noted further:
Earlier this month, a source familiar with Trump’s thinking told NBC News that his decision announcing he wouldn’t participate in the first debate applies to only the first two debates, allowing him a chance to attend other debates if he changed his mind.
Trump’s change in thinking also comes after an Emerson College poll released on Monday showed Trump dropped six percentage points after skipping the debate. A predebate poll showed Trump garnering 56% of Republican support, but in the wake of the debate, his support decreased to 50%.
Trump was also critical of Fox News after Starnes asked, “Mr. President, what the heck is going on at Fox News?” — in reference to “Fox & Friends” morning co-host Steve Doocy noting Trump’s drop in the polls after skipping the debate.“Well, he’s incorrect because most of the polls, and I’m way ahead in Emerson, too, but most of the polls literally have me going up a lot since the debate, if you can call it that,” Trump said. “They’ll pick one poll where if you go down a little bit, they’ll use that one poll, but they won’t use 15 polls or a lot of the polls where you go up. But we’ve gone up very substantially, and we’ve gone up in just about every state.”
The next GOP debate is scheduled for Sept. 27 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Simi Valley, Calif.
Late last month, Trump cited a CBS News poll showing him with 62 percent support as justification for not participating in the debates.
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“New CBS POLL, just out, has me leading the field by ‘legendary’ numbers. TRUMP 62%, 46 Points above DeSanctimonious (who is crashing like an ailing bird!), Ramaswamy 7%, Pence 5%, Scott 3%, Haley 2%, Sloppy Chris Christie 2%, ‘Aida’ Hutchinson 1%,” he wrote on his platform.
“The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had, with Energy Independence, Strong Borders & Military, Biggest EVER Tax & Regulation Cuts, No Inflation, Strongest Economy in History, & much more. I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!” he added.
Trump, now facing four indictments as the leading 2024 GOP presidential contender, is planning a cable news blitz as after a sit-down interview with former Fox News star Tucker Carlson as a counter to the first Republican debate.
