Former President Donald Trump is hinting he will skip the first GOP presidential debate on Aug. 23 because Fox News is one of its sponsors and hasn’t been giving him steady coverage.

Mr. Trump complained on Truth Social that the network did not cover his recent speech in Michigan or his address to the Faith & Freedom Coalition Conference in Washington, D.C.

“And then [the network] wants me to show up and get them ratings for their ‘Presidential’ Debate, where I’m leading the field by 40 points,” he wrote.

For weeks, Mr. Trump has suggested he would skip the debate in Milwaukee, claiming that networks are biased against him and will try to drag him down from his front-runner perch.

Some top Republicans say Mr. Trump won’t be able to resist the limelight of the debate stage. He used the platform to his advantage in 2016.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a 2024 primary rival, says Mr. Trump is being childish.

“The American public is not Trump’s therapist. This campaign cannot be a national therapy session for a deeply flawed man,” Mr. Christie tweeted Monday. “If Trump doesn’t want to debate, then he doesn’t want to be president.”

Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum will moderate the August debate.

Mr. Trump’s latest threat to skip the debate is an extension of his ongoing feud with Fox. Once a reliably friendly outlet, Mr. Trump says the network is all-in for his top rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Mr. Trump said Fox covered Mr. DeSantis’ immigration event in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Monday “from beginning to end.”

“All they do is promote, against all hope, Ron DeSanctimonious, and he’s dropping like a rock. Sorry FoxNews, life doesn’t work that way!!!” Mr. Trump wrote on his social network.

• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.