Republican Party: It's a Mistake Not to Have Trump Participate in the First Debate

The chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, Ronna McDaniel, stated that "it is a mistake for former President Donald Trump not to participate in the first debate in preparation for the presidential election." She added in an interview with Fox News: "I think it's a mistake not to hold the debates, but it’s up to him and his campaign. I have talked to him about joining the debate." McDaniel believed that "skipping the debate is just a bigger opportunity for President Joe Biden to continue delivering his message. If he wants to win the nomination, he needs to be in front of the primary voters. Why not stand in front of them before facing Joe Biden?" Furthermore, Trump has not committed to participating in next month's debate, having said earlier this month: "When you're way ahead, you don't do it" (referring to not participating in the debate). It remains unclear who will participate in the first debate of the Republican National Committee on August 23, which also requires candidates to receive contributions from at least 40,000 individual donors.