Just days before the first debate for Republican candidates for the White House on Wednesday, all eyes are on former U.S. President Donald Trump to see if he will participate in this contest, after threatening to skip it on the grounds that polls indicate he leads the race by a significant margin over his competitors. With five months remaining until the Republican primary elections scheduled for the end of next year, Trump's popularity seems stronger than ever, but the numerous criminal cases against him have overshadowed his bid to return to the White House.
The 77-year-old former president, who rarely fails to make headlines, has explicitly stated that he is considering skipping the debate scheduled in Milwaukee, arguing that he does not want to share the spotlight with candidates who do not have real popularity. On Thursday, Trump wrote on social media: "I am ahead of the second-place finisher, whoever that may be today, by more than 50 points. The late Republican President Ronald Reagan didn’t do that, nor did others. People know my record, which is one of the best ever, so why would I debate?"
On Friday, The New York Times reported that Trump informed his aides he plans to bypass his competitors by skipping the debate organized by Fox News and instead appear as a solo guest in an online interview with Tucker Carlson, the former host of the conservative network. However, a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign told AFP, "We have not confirmed anything on our side."
Whether Trump participates in the debate or boycotts it, he will undoubtedly be present in spirit, as his opponents plan to target the frontrunner by focusing on the seven legal trials he is currently facing: four criminal and three civil. These charges stem from events both prior to and during his presidency and after his term, which has been filled with scandals.
Brett Baier, a Fox News host who will moderate the debate, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Clearly, his legal issues are impacting this race." He added, "All of these candidates are being asked non-stop about what’s happening in courtrooms across the country. So it will be part of this discussion whether he attends or not."
### "Counter Programming"
Seven other candidates have qualified for the debate, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, former Vice President Mike Pence, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Current polls place DeSantis in second place. According to polling data, Ramaswamy and Christie threaten DeSantis’s runner-up position in Iowa and New Hampshire and will look for opportunities to attack him during the debate.
The Republican National Committee has given Trump until Monday to make a final decision on whether he wants to participate in the debate. Despite leading the race by a wide margin over his closest competitor, several of his allies fear that his absence could give his rivals the chance to steal the spotlight and gain an advantage at his expense.
After being informed of the third indictment against him, Trump met with executives from Fox News around a dinner table at his golf club in New Jersey. According to media reports, network officials warned him that DeSantis would steal the spotlight during the debate if he were absent. In this context, observers noted that Trump lost Iowa in 2016 to Texas Senator Ted Cruz after skipping a debate.
In an effort to prevent his rivals from seizing the opportunity, Trump announced a press conference for next Monday to present a 100-page report that he claimed includes evidence supporting his ongoing assertions that the 2020 election, which he lost to Democratic President Joe Biden, was marred by fraud. However, Trump soon canceled this conference based on his lawyer's advice.
Media reports indicate that Trump is considering a "counter programming" strategy to grab media attention from his rivals. In addition to a likely interview with Carlson, the billionaire may choose to turn himself in to authorities at the county jail in Atlanta on Wednesday or Thursday. Last week, the courts in Atlanta, Georgia's capital, indicted Trump in a conspiracy case concerning the 2020 election and ordered him to surrender by Friday afternoon.
