Former President Donald Trump was ridiculed by commentators Tuesday after he suggested that he would not take part in the first two scheduled Republican primary debates, citing his big polling lead.

The 76-year-old hopped on his Truth Social platform to complain that “nobody got my approval, or the approval of the Trump Campaign, before announcing” the events to be held in Milwaukee this coming August and at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Calif. at a later date.

Both debates were announced by Republican National committee chair Ronna McDaniel, setting up a potential clash with the former president.

“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?,” the 45th president wrote, apparently referring to Fox News, which is sponsoring the first debate.

“Also, the Second Debate is being held at the Reagan Library, the Chairman of which is, amazingly, Fred Ryan, Publisher of The Washington Post. NO!”

Trump’s apparent attempt at a power play was met with an online raspberry from some conservative commentators.

“He’s scared to debate,” tweeted RedState.com writer Bonchie.

“Like a guy who puts a run on the board in the top of the first inning & demands the game end,” agreed Dan McLaughlin of National Review.

“I’ve never seen someone this scared of competition in my life,” tweeted pseudonymous commentator AG Hamilton. “Are both him and Biden going to spend the general in basements?”

“If Trump is so upset with the current debate schedule, he should just propose a series of 1 on 1 unmoderated debates with [Florida Gov. Ron] DeSantis once RDS announces,” suggested Will Chamberlain. “Because he’s not afraid of debating, right? Right?”

“Is Trump implying he’s going to pull a Biden and avoid debates?” asked former Newsmax host John Cardillo. “Is he seriously that afraid of DeSantis?”

Trump does have a history of pulling out of debates when he feels himself to be disadvantaged.

The then-candidate pulled out of a 2016 Fox News debate over his objections to moderator Megyn Kelly ahead of the Iowa caucus, which he lost to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). He later said the ploy was a mistake.

A little more than a month later, a GOP debate was canceled after Trump – then the frontrunner – and candidate John Kasich said they would not take the stage.

“I think we’ve had enough debates,” the future nominee said at the time.

As a sitting president, Trump refused to debate Joe Biden virtually in 2020 after testing positive for COVID-19, saying he was “not going to waste my time” with the format.

If Trump were to win the 2024 election and serve a full term, he would eclipse Biden, 80, as the oldest sitting president in US history.