On Wednesday, the Republicans who are fighting to become the party’s presidential candidate in the 2024 election will meet in a premier debate in the city of Milwaukee in the United States.
There has long been uncertainty surrounding Donald Trump’s participation in the debate. But on Sunday, the ex-president confirmed in a post on his own social platform Truth Social that he will not participate.
“The public knows who I am and what a successful presidency I had. I will therefore not stand in the debates!”, he writes.
It is unclear how many debates the ex-president thinks he will skip in the future. The next Republican primary debate will be held in September. Earlier in June, Trump expressed skepticism about facing his opponents, and even then referred to his advantage in the opinion polls.
Tried to be persuaded to participate
Republican officials are said to have publicly tried to convince Trump to join the debate as late as Sunday morning local time, writes CNN.
Just hours before Trump’s post was published, Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, said she hoped he would debate.
“I still have hope that Trump will come. I think it’s really important that the American people hear from all the candidates,” McDaniel told Fox News.
In recent weeks, she and several others on the committee are said to have also visited Trump at his home in Bedminster, New Jersey, to persuade him to run.
Instead, Donald Trump is expected to appear in an interview with the former Fox News profile Tucker Carlson, writes New York Times.
The timing of the interview has not yet been determined, but it is expected to air around the same time as the debate on Wednesday.