Donald Trump wants his GOP challengers to use the first primary debate next month to woo him over for whom he should pick as vice president.
With a commanding lead in the polls and threatening to skip the Aug. 23 debate in Milwaukee, the ex-president wrote on his Truth Social platform Monday that the Republican National Committee should let all White House hopefuls be on stage.
“Let them debate so I can see who I MIGHT consider for Vice President!” Mr. Trump posted.
To qualify for the debate, candidates must receive at least 1% support in three national polls deemed high-quality by the RNC or a mix of early-state and national polls from July 1 to Aug. 21. Candidates must also have at least 40,000 donors, including 200 in 20 or more states.
Seven Republicans say they’ve already qualified: Mr. Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former U.N. Ambassador and ex-South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.
Those who haven’t qualified include former Vice President Mike Pence, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Texas Rep. Will Hurd and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly indicated he will not show up because of his high polling numbers.
“If you’re leading by a lot, what’s the purpose of doing it?” Mr. Trump said in a recent appearance on Newsmax.
A New York Times/Siena poll released Monday showed him at 54% with a 37-point lead over his nearest challenger, Mr. DeSantis, at just 17%.
In second-quarter fundraising spanning April, May and June, Mr. Trump and his political action committee raised over $35 million. Mr. DeSantis reported $20 million but didn’t launch his candidacy until late May.
Mr. Trump’s average lead among major polls in recent weeks has climbed to more than 35 points despite or owing to criminal indictments in New York for alleged campaign finance violations and in Florida for allegedly mishandling classified documents after leaving office.
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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