Former President Donald Trump said Wednesday on Newsmax TV’s “The Balance” that he would not sign the Republican National Committee’s pledge to support the GOP nominee to attend the first primary debate on August 23 on Fox News.
Trump said, “I’ve already decided and I’ll be announcing something next week.”
Host Eric Bolling said, “Fox senior executives came and had dinner with you and pitched you. Did they move the needle?”
Trump said, “Well they were very nice. Look, they were very nice.”
Bolling said, “The only reason I say this, I put a poll up on Twitter. At least two-thirds of the people don’t want you to do the debate because they feel it could be a setup. Are you concerned about Fox setting you up?”
Trump said, “Well, when you’re at 75, 78, 80%, and other guys are 0, 1%, 2%, 3%, you do say, ‘What’s the upside? Am I going to go up one point? But they could go up, you know. They’re not dumb people. They’re senators. They’re governors. They’re intelligent people. You have some very good people.”
Trump said, “I have a problem with the debate for another reason. I wouldn’t sign the pledge. Why would I sign a pledge if there are people on there that I wouldn’t have? I wouldn’t have certain people as, you know, somebody that I’d endorse. So, they want you to sign a pledge, but I can name three or four people that I wouldn’t support for president. So there is a problem right there.”
Bolling asked, “Can I ask which three?”
Trump said, “There’s no reason to insult them but there are some people there that a lot of people wouldn’t endorse.”
He continued, “They’re not going to go anywhere, by the way. They’re not going to get it. But I wouldn’t endorse them.”
Bolling asked, “The RNC said that’s one of the requirements for— so you won’t sign it?”
Trump said, “Well, they have three or four people that I wouldn’t, you know— who would put these people as president?”
He added, “Somebody like Asa Hutchinson, who’s polling at zero, will ask me nasty questions. Somebody like Chris Christie, he’s polling at 1% and he’s going to ask me nasty questions, and others too, and then you have some that are very good. I mean, Tim Scott has been very nice, and Ramaswamy has been very, very nice. I mean, these are, you know, very capable people, very good people, but why would you do that when you’re leading by so much? Ronald Reagan didn’t do it, Nixon didn’t do it, many people didn’t do it, but I’m going to look at it very seriously.”
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