Former President Donald Trump says his front-runner status makes it unlikely he will participate in the first GOP primary debate Wednesday in Milwaukee.
Mr. Trump did not rule out his appearance but gave his most emphatic signal that he won’t be on the stage.
“As everyone is aware, my Poll numbers, over a ‘wonderful’ field of Republican candidates, are extraordinary,” he wrote late Thursday on Truth Social. “In fact, I am leading the runner-up, whoever that may now be, by more than 50 Points. Reagan didn’t do it, and neither did others. People know my Record, one of the BEST EVER, so why would I Debate? I’M YOUR MAN. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
For weeks, Mr. Trump has kept the Republican National Committee on its toes about whether he plans to join his leading challenger, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and several other GOP candidates who have qualified for the debate stage.
The former president says he would face biased questioning and doesn’t need to threaten his front-runner ranking. His foes say he is a chicken and that voters deserve to hear from him if he wants the highest office in the land.
It’s possible Mr. Trump will show up at the debate at the last minute. He likes to keep people guessing. He could also plot counterprogramming to the debate, such as a rally or media appearance.
In the meantime, other candidates are preparing for a breakout moment on the stage.
Never Back Down, a political action committee for Mr. DeSantis, prepared a memo that says the governor should rip President Biden and the media at least three times, “hammer” competitor Vivek Ramaswamy and defend Mr. Trump against attacks from former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
The memo, which was briefly posted online and obtained by The New York Times, raised some eyebrows in political circles because Mr. Trump at this point is the main impediment to Mr. DeSantis winning the nomination.
Mr. Christie, speaking to CNN on Friday, said his debate strategy is simpler.
“I’ll listen to the questions, answer them directly and honestly, and if someone up there says something that I believe is dishonest, [I’ll] call them out on it. That’s it. I don’t have any more complicated strategy than that,” he said, adding, “I’ve watched that canned-line thing. It doesn’t work all that well.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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