Key events
Trump mulls skipping first debate
Donald Trump is a shoo-in for the first debate of GOP presidential candidates, scheduled for 23 August in Milwaukee. In order to qualify, the party requires candidates to pledge to support the eventual nominee, have at least 40,000 unique donors spread across a minimum of 20 states, and poll at least 1% in at least three national polls.
The former president blows through all those criteria. He’s been raking in cash and dominating polls ever since announcing a renewed White House campaign last year. But in typical Trump fashion, he says he’s considering skipping the first debate. He told Reuters why in an interview last month:
In a telephone interview with Reuters, Trump said “possibly not” when asked if he would be at the debate, to be hosted by Fox News in Milwaukee on Aug. 23.
The debate will be the first chance for voters to see the Republican presidential candidates square off against each other.
Trump called Fox News, which he has criticized for not covering his campaign events, a “hostile network” and said he saw little merit in debating candidates like former New Jersey governor Chris Christie who are far behind him in polling.
“Why would I give them time to make statements? Why would I do that when I’m leading them by 50 points and 60 points,” Trump said.
Trump remains at the top as lineup for first GOP debate emerges
Good morning, US politics blog readers. One month from today, we will be digesting the aftermath of the first GOP presidential debate, which is set for 23 August in Milwaukee. Such events are a staple of the presidential nomination process, and two polls released over the weekend revealed the contours of the Republican race are largely the same as ever. Fox Business surveys of early voting states Iowa and South Carolina show Donald Trump with a big lead over all his competitors. In the former, Ron DeSantis and Tim Scott are the distant runners-up for second and third place, respectively, while in the latter, it’s former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley and then DeSantis.
But the polls are not all bad news for the Republicans aiming to oust Trump as the party’s nominee. Six GOP candidates have qualified for the debate stage based on, among other things, their polling results, Politico reports. These include Trump, DeSantis, Haley and Scott, along with Chris Christie and Vivek Ramaswamy, and it’s possible other candidates, such as Mike Pence, will qualify in the weeks to come. Debates can give candidates important opportunities to stand out in the field, but whether those who qualify show up is a different matter. We’ll tell you more about that later today.
Here’s what’s happening today:
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Joe Biden has no public events scheduled, but press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will brief reporters at 3.30pm eastern time.
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Remember Allen West? Or Scott Walker? They’ll be among the ex-lawmakers speaking at the National Conservative Student Conference, which begins today in Washington DC. Ramaswamy, who is actually seeking office, is the sole presidential candidate billed to appear.
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The House judiciary committee may this week vote to hold Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg in contempt, Punchbowl News reports.
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