Former President Donald Trump is set to hold a Jan. 21 evening rally in Rochester, New Hampshire, a move that directly conflicts with CNN‘s primary debate on the same night.
Trump’s campaign announced the New Hampshire rally scheduled for 7 p.m. in an email Friday afternoon. It comes just two days before the Granite State’s primary, the second nominating contest for Republicans.
The CNN debate on Jan. 21 at New England College marks the sixth straight GOP primary debate the former president is snubbing.
Trump skipped the first four Republican National Committee-sponsored debates last year. He also snubbed CNN’s primary debate in Iowa this past Wednesday for a Fox News town hall despite meeting the qualifications.
ABC News has also scheduled a primary debate for Jan. 18. at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. But Trump has not announced or indicated he will participate in the debate. And if the past is any indication, he will likely forgo the event.
As the undisputed front-runner, Trump is guaranteed to meet CNN’s debate requirements that candidates reach at least 10% in three national or New Hampshire polls. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, Trump’s two closest competitors, are likely to meet the qualifications as well.
The ABC News primary debate requires candidates to finish in the top three spots during the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses or reach at least 10% in two national or New Hampshire polls.
In the aftermath of the Iowa caucuses, some candidates may drop out if they don’t meet expectations for their campaigns or if Trump wins by a large enough margin that he quells momentum from his competitors.
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Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dropped out of the race on Wednesday, hours before Haley and DeSantis appeared onstage at a CNN primary debate in Des Moines, Iowa.
His exit is likely to boost Haley’s campaign as she seeks to give Trump a serious challenge for the New Hampshire primary, where independent voters make up the largest share of voters. But given Trump’s double-digit lead in the primary polls for New Hampshire, she faces a steep uphill climb.
The Washington Examiner reached out to CNN for comment.
