Donald Trump’s Choice To Avoid Republican Debates Could Be A Smart Move
Donald Trump is benefiting from avoiding the Republican presidential debates that are happening in Miami. Trump has a rally planned in Hialeah, Florida to undercut the third debate and is also urging the Republican National Committee to cancel future events that he would have to decide whether or not to attend.
The next GOP debate is already scheduled to take place in December in Tuscaloosa, the host city of the University of Alabama. With two debates planned for January leading up to the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, Trump may face more pressure to participate and abandon his strategy of ignoring these events.
Despite criticism from his rivals and others, Trump’s high polling numbers demonstrate that his tactic of skipping debates is working to his advantage. A poll showed that 57% of likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers are unbothered by his absence from the debates. Trump also leads with an average of 57.9% in national polls, signaling his sustained popularity within the Republican party.
Trump still faces some pressure to join future debates from both his opponents and other analysts who argue that frontrunners are most at risk in debates. However, Trump’s strategic refusal to debate is part of his overall message that he is the inevitable Republican nominee for the presidency. His rejection of debates is in line with his call for other candidates to drop out and for donors to direct funds away from his opponents and towards the campaign against President Joe Biden and the Democratic party. This risky strategy is paying off for Trump so far, but he may face increased pressure to join future debates as the election nears.
