Former US President Donald Trump has confirmed he will not participate in the first GOP debate on Wednesday, explaining the American public already "knows" who he is and how he intends to handle the presidency in his second White House bid.
However, it remains unclear if Trump plans to skip all future political debates, or just the first scheduled televised event on Wednesday.
Insiders have noted the former commander-in-chief's decision is causing anxiety amongst other GOP candidates, who are trailing Trump poorly in the polls. Despite facing 91 felony counts and four criminal trials, Trump now leads with 62%, while his closest opponent, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) trails him by 16%.
As senior Republican officials, strategists, and GOP candidates see Trump as a weak opponent against President Joe Biden for the 2024 election, Republicans also fear being left in the lurch in trying to take back control of the Senate.
Skipping the debate has not been entirely backed by Trump supporters: a recent poll found 77% of participants would like to see Trump participate in the debate.
Instead of just skipping the debate, Trump has reportedly already sat down for an interview with ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson, which is expected to be aired on Wednesday. Critics have said the interview may drive a stake further into the heart of the Fox News company, as Carlson is still under a contract with Fox and continues to be paid by the network.
Last month, Fox News President Jay Wallace and CEO Suzanne Scott reportedly traveled to Trump’s New Jersey golf club and desperately pleaded the former president to take part in the debate. However, Trump’s alleged disdain for the network, and for chairman Rupert Murdoch, appears to run deep as he reportedly sniped in private that Murdoch and the network have been "disloyal" after turning their attention to DeSantis.