More than three-quarters of voters for former President Donald Trump said he should participate in the Republican National Committee's primary debate on Wednesday.
Sixty-six percent of Republican voters think the former president should go to the debate, according to a polling memo from bipartisan public affairs firm Firehouse Strategies. This number is even higher among strictly Trump voters, 77% of whom said the same.
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On Sunday, Trump confirmed that he will not attend the debate after much speculation. In a post to Truth Social, he wrote, "New CBS POLL, just out, has me leading the field by 'legendary' numbers."
"The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had, with Energy Independence, Strong Borders & Military, Biggest EVER Tax & Regulation Cuts, No Inflation, Strongest Economy in History, & much more. I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!" he added.
Trump has previously pointed to his lead in the polls as a justification for not debating.
The RNC debate will take place Wednesday evening and will be broadcast by Fox News. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former Vice President Mike Pence, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and Perry Johnson have met the requirements to participate in the event.
Candidates are required to sign a loyalty pledge stating they will support the eventual Republican nominee in 2024. This was a subject of contention for some of the candidates, including Trump. However, the pledge is supported by 71% of Republicans, who said it is important.
Instead of debating, Trump may be sitting for an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, per reports.
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While he isn't planning to attend, members of his campaign staff and surrogate network will be making sure the former president is represented in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On Saturday, Kari Lake, an ardent supporter of Trump, announced she would be at the debate. Donald Trump Jr. also said he plans to attend on Monday. Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) will also be in attendance and react to the debate, providing analysis on Right Side Broadcasting Network.
Regarding Trump's unknown participation, senior adviser Jason Miller previously said, "President Trump leads the Republican field by more than 40 points. So he's going to dominate the conversation at the debate whether he's there or not. Meanwhile, Ron DeSanctimonious is dropping like a rock and finds himself in third place in many polls with his opponents smelling blood in the water."