Actually NO modern day incumbent President does…..
One wonders what the Republican’s will do if Trump is still leading the field?
President Joe Biden has successfully fended off calls from his opponents for him to participate in primary debates, a move that would be unprecedented in recent memory.
Democrats have so far opted to tune out the primary challenges levied against him, with the Democratic National Committee throwing its support behind Biden. And while some in the party have criticized the organization and Biden as “un-democratic” for presuming he’s the de facto nominee, there’s precedent in sitting it out: No incumbent president has participated in a primary debate since the first modern debate was held in 1948, even when presented with high-profile primary challengers.
As former President Donald Trump sought re-election in 2020, the Republican National Committee didn’t hold primary debates, nor did former President Barack Obama during his second bid. The same pattern can be traced as far back as Gerald Ford.
And Democrats today show no signs of changing course……
…
When asked by Politico in August 2022 about how they might deal with a primary challenge, DNC executive director Sam Cornale put it bluntly: “We’re with Biden. Period.”
The group also unanimously passed a resolution during their February winter meeting expressing its “full and complete support” for a second term for Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
image…New York Times