GOP debate looms as possible last chance to topple Trump

NEWS AND OPINION:

The first official Republican presidential debate is beginning to materialize and will be here sooner than we think. Scheduled for Aug. 23, the debate takes place at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, also the site of the 2024 Republican National Convention, and will be broadcast live on Fox News.

But what about the candidates? Donald Trump looms large here. The former president suggested back in April that he might skip the event — and that canny threat has been followed by the news media ever since.

That coverage continues.

“Donald Trump was a well-known reality TV star before he was president of the United States. Anyone hoping to take on a man with perhaps the highest name identification on the planet would need to do well in a nationally televised debate. The Iowa state fair isn’t going to help a candidate like Miami mayor Francis Suarez or North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum break out. With Trump’s dominant lead in polls and a growing sense of inevitability, it seems the Aug. 23 debate could be the last chance to stop him,” writes A.B. Stoddard, an associate editor and columnist at RealClearPolitics.

“But that won’t happen. Trump is threatening to skip the forum and hold his own event. No matter who ends up on stage, and who performs well, the net effect will likely just serve to cement Trump’s standing in the race,” she said.

“The rules that the Republican National Committee have set to limit participation are making it difficult for candidates to make the cut. They are being asked to sign a pledge to support the nominee – one Trump would never honor if he even signed – and must not only reach certain threshold in polling but also have contributions from 40,000 donors. The night isn’t likely to include the full roster of candidates, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is getting cold feet about showing up as well,” Ms. Stoddard wrote.

THE EDUCATION PARTY

School may be out for summer, but serious discussion about the state of the nation’s education system continues. President Biden and his administration spent the Independence Day holiday claiming that Mr. Biden is the ideal “education president.”

Others disagree.

“Unfortunately for the future of our nation, the education crisis proves the opposite,” Tommy Pigott, rapid response director for the Republican National Committee, advised in a written statement to Inside the Beltway.

“Test scores are down to their lowest levels in decades and hundreds of thousands of children are missing from school, especially in Democrat-run states. In fact, math scores for 13-year-olds plunged by the largest margin ever recorded,” he said, citing a report released Wednesday by the National Center for Education Statistics.

It revealed that math exam scores are now at their lowest levels since 1990 while reading scores are their lowest level since 2004.

“While the Biden administration targets parents and empowers the same groups who fought to keep kids out of school, Republicans are fighting to empower parents and students with policies like school choice. Reminder: A National Bureau of Economic Research analysis shows that 19 of the top 20 states for getting kids back to in-person schooling were led by Republicans. In contrast, 18 of the bottom 20 states and districts were led by Democrats,” Mr. Pigott said.

“Bottom line: Republicans are the education party, and Biden is the anti-parent president,” he concluded.

REMEMBERING NANCY

A certain first lady has not been forgotten on the anniversary of her birth.

“Nancy Reagan’s remarkable life was a priceless treasure for our nation and the global community. As we commemorate her 102nd birth anniversary on July 6, let us pause and contemplate the numerous contributions she made to the tapestry of our American narrative,” the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute noted in a statement shared Thursday with Inside the Beltway.

“Her elegance and composure were invaluable to President Ronald Reagan, and their profound love for one another was undeniable. Their enduring 52-year marriage shall forever remain one of America’s most celebrated love stories,” the organization said.

For more, visit Reaganfoundation.org.

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POLL DU JOUR

• 56% of U.S. adults say the economy is “getting worse”; 79% of Republicans, 62% of independents and 30% of Democrats agree.

• 61% of women and 51% of men also agree.

• 22% overall say the economy is “about the same” as it has been in the past; 15% of Republicans, 21% of independents and 30% of Democrats agree.

• 20% of women and 25% of men also agree.

• 17% overall say the economy is “getting better”; 4% of Republicans, 11% of independents and 35% of Democrats agree.

• 14% of women and 20% of men also agree.

• 4% are not sure about the issue; 2% of Republicans, 6% of independents and 5% of Democrats agree.

• 5% of women and 4% of men also agree.

SOURCE: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,500 U.S. adults conducted July 1-5.

• Contact Jennifer Harper at jharper@washingtontimes.com.