Republican Debate Preview: What to Expect

President Donald Trump officially announced on Truth Social that he won’t be at the first GOP debate.
Touting his stellar poll numbers and track record from his first term as President, Trump believes appearing at the first debate would not be worth his time and effort. In July, he also said it wasn’t fair for other candidates with poll numbers near zero to “be popping [him] with questions.” Instead, Trump scheduled an interview with Tucker Carlson that might air simultaneously on X (formerly Twitter).
So will you watch the GOP debate even if the leading GOP candidate isn’t on the stage? Or, if Trump’s interview with Tucker Carlson airs at the same time, will you watch it instead? Let’s not kid ourselves – love him or hate him, Trump is clearly the candidate everyone wants to see. He thrives in the spotlight and pumps up TV ratings.
With Trump not in attendance, that leaves Fox News hosts Brett Baier and Martha MacCallum posing questions to the eight qualifying candidates: former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Governor Nikki Haley, former Governor Chris Christie, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, and former Governor Asa Hutchinson.
Such a lineup is way more impressive than any candidates the Democrats could proffer. But Trump’s presence will still loom large over the debate. I expect the other Republican hopefuls to go after Trump hard to establish themselves as viable Republican nominees.
So why isn’t Trump making an appearance? ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, listed three reasons he believes Trump is sitting out.
First, Trump won’t commit to signing a loyalty pledge that promises to support the Republican party’s eventual nominee and not to participate in unsanctioned RNC debates. Personally, I don’t blame Trump for refusing to sign this. Why should I endorse someone else if I’m running for President, and I’m confident that I’m the best candidate?
Second, Trump is up by an incredible percentage in the polls. According to the CBS poll that Trump referenced, he’s leading Ron DeSantis, the closest candidate, by 46%. That’s likely an insurmountable lead.
Finally, Trump isn’t just another run-of-the-mill presidential candidate – he’s the former President of the United States. He’s won the presidency before and had enormous success with the economy, foreign policy, and energy independence. His record does speak for itself.
We also can’t help but wonder how the GOP primary would shake out if Trump weren’t a candidate. We might actually see a fascinating debate centered on policy, allowing very qualified candidates the opportunity to shine. But as we all know, Trump is the front-runner, and it’s hard to imagine the debate not focusing on the former President.