Why?
Donald Trump…The guy who is supposted to ‘own’ the party doesn’t want anything to do with such a step down….
It’s HIS show….
WTF share a stage with others trying to pick him off?
This time around, the RNC was intent on weeding out candidates who lacked any serious prospect of winning the primary or who were trying to use the debate stage to further their personal interests. But it was the frontrunner himself who decided he wasn’t all that interested.
Trump advisers say he remains opposed to participating in the August debate, and that he sees no reason to appear onstage against candidates who are polling far behind him. Beyond that, the former president, they say, remains upset with Fox News over what he regards as their unfair coverage of him.
“Why would I let these people take shots at me?” Trump asked, in an interview last month on Fox.
By skipping the debate, Trump advisers hope to rob what could be his opponents’ best opportunity to trip up the former president. It’s possible that Trump could hold an event that would compete for attention and steer viewers away from his rivals.
Trump is not the only candidate whose appearance on the debate stage is either unlikely or uncertain. Other candidates have said they will not sign the RNC’s loyalty pledge to support the eventual nominee, a prerequisite set by the committee to participate in the debate.
Those threats may ultimately not matter, since only those who have met the RNC’s polling and donation thresholds will be asked to take the pledge anyways. Lower-polling candidates who’ve come out against the requirement — like former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former Texas Rep. Will Hurd — may not get the opportunity to sign onto the loyalty agreement. Christie has openly refused to support Trump but also said he’ll sign whatever is required to get on the debate stage.
Some of the other requirements may prove more cumbersome….