POLITICS
Why won’t Donald Trump participate in the first GOP primary debate?
He’s still the front runner for the Republican nomination but the former president is making threats early on in the campaign.
‘Because he’s gone in a huff... again!’
That was the first response I got when I posed the question in the office of why Donald Trump would not be in the first GOP primary debate, before a thoughtful discussion then began. The former president certainly has some form of reacting rather childishly when he doesn’t get his way -- many would say dangerously so given what happened on January 6 -- so was this impulsive reply based on reality? Let’s take a look...
Donald Trump on the Fox hunt
The truth behind the story that Trump won’t be involved in the first debate (at least) comes, somewhat ironically, from his own mouth, or at least his limited Social Truth mouthpiece.
“So FoxNews, which is down 37% in the Ratings, doesn’t cover my getting the “Man of the Decade” Award (because of my great trade policies!) in Michigan, or my Keynote Speech for Faith & Freedom in D.C.,” he wrote on the platform, “and then wants me to show up and get them ratings for their “Presidential” Debate, where I’m leading the field by 40 points.
“All they do is promote, against all hope, Ron DeSanctimonious, and he’s dropping like a rock.
“Sorry FoxNews, life doesn’t work that way!!!” he ended the message.
Based on that, therefore, there are a couple of ways to take it. His blindly loyal followers will, of course, support him all the way and create posters slamming Murdoch’s ‘news’ network. Other Republicans will point to him being afraid of appearing on a debating platform with competitors and a host eager to highlight the legal troubles surrounding the recently turned 77 year-old.
Then there are those, as my impulsive colleague demonstrated in a split second, will stick to the idea that Trump continues to bring serious grown-up politics down to the level of a stereotypical adolescent not getting their way.