Trump says he will skip GOP presidential primary debates

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FILE – Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a visit to the Iowa State Fair, Aug. 12, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. After every indictment that has come his way, Trump has boasted that his standing among Republicans only improves — and he has a point. Nearly two-thirds of Republicans — 63% — say they want the former president to run again, according to new polling from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)Read More

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FILE – Former President Donald Trump waves as he steps off his plane at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Aug. 3, 2023, in Arlington, Va. A slim majority of Americans approve of the U.S. Justice Department indicting Trump over his efforts to remain in office after losing the 2020 election, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

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FILE – President Donald Trump speaks during a rally protesting the electoral college certification of Joe Biden as President in Washington, on Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

BY JILL COLVINUpdated 4:28 PM MST, August 20, 2023Share

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday that he will be skipping Wednesday’s first Republican presidential primary debate — and others as well.

“The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!” His spokesman did not immediately clarify whether he plans to boycott every primary debate or just those that have currently been scheduled.

The former president and early GOP frontrunner had said for months that he saw little upside in joining his GOP rivals on stage when they gather for the first time in Milwaukee Wednesday, given his commanding lead in the race. And he had made clear to those he had spoken to in recent days that his opinion had not changed.

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“Why would I allow people at 1 or 2% and 0% to be hitting me with questions all night?” he said in an interview in June with Fox News host Bret Baier, who will be serving as a moderator. Trump has also repeatedly criticized Fox, the host of the Aug. 23 primetime event, insisting it is a “hostile network” that he believes will not treat him fairly.

Trump had been discussing a number of debate counterprogramming options, including sitting for an interview with ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has been hosting a show on the website formerly known as Twitter. Carlson was spotted at Trump’s Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club ahead of the announcement, according to a person familiar with the visit who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it. The Ne