“They’re wasting a lot of time with these ridiculous debates that nobody is watching,” Trump said during a speech in South Carolina.
The last Republican debate – the first of the 2024 primary season – was the lowest rated in history, Trump said. Trump opted not to attend the debate and instead appeared in an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
The Republican Party will hold its second primary debate on Wednesday, which Trump is again set to skip. Last week, US media reported Trump will address current and former United Auto Workers union members instead of participating in the debate.
Trump leads the pack of Republican presidential hopefuls at 55.1% support, according to FiveThirtyEight primary polling averages published Monday. Trump is followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at 13.3% support, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at 5.9% and former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley at 5.3%.