Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel downplayed former President Donald Trump’s threat of skipping the GOP debates.
McDaniel talked about the RNC’s correspondence with the 2024 campaigns about the debate structure and defended her push to have candidates pledge to back the eventual nominee on Sunday.
RONNA MCDANIEL PREDICTS TRUMP WON’T BOYCOTT GOP DEBATES: ‘HE DID VERY WELL’ IN 2016
“That’s his choice. And every candidate is going to make that calculation,” McDaniel told Fox News Sunday. “What I think the American people want to see is these candidates; they want to see what they’re articulating, and especially what is your plan to take us out of the misery of Joe Biden.”
The chairwoman added that she believes “everybody should get on that debate stage.”
Trump made waves last week when he appeared to threaten to boycott the GOP debates, citing various gripes with the moderators as well as his “insurmountable” lead on other contenders.
“Nobody got my approval, or the approval of the Trump Campaign, before announcing them. When you’re leading by seemingly insurmountable numbers, and you have hostile Networks with angry, TRUMP & MAGA-hating anchors asking the ‘questions,’ why subject yourself to being libeled and abused?” Trump wrote on Truth Social last Tuesday.
McDaniel noted that RNC officials have had regular contact with both the campaigns and representatives of Republicans mulling a 2024 run.
“I’ve talked to President Trump. Dave Bossie, who’s running the debate committees, talked and met with all the candidates. Yes, we’re talking with them all the time. But no, we’re not asking them where should we have it, who should be the moderators — that would be inappropriate,” she said.
Currently, the RNC has two debates slated. The first is set for August in Milwaukee and will be hosted by Fox News. The second debate will take place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, but details about the moderator and date have not been revealed.
Trump has a history of skipping debates. In 2016, Trump boycotted a Fox News debate in Iowa amid a spat with former network anchor Megyn Kelly. He went on to lose the Iowa caucuses and attended the next debate. Trump also skipped the second scheduled 2020 debate with President Joe Biden.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
McDaniel also defended her calls for aspirants to commit to backing the eventual nominee, which has been a sticking point for some contenders such as Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR), who has concerns about Trump.
“[Republicans] do not want to see somebody take up our time and talk about all these things unless they pledge to beat Joe Biden. They don’t have to like each other. They don’t have to hang out after this,” McDaniel emphasized. “I want you to be focused on beating Joe Biden.”
