Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is reportedly “prepping weekly” for the first Republican debate, set to take place on August 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Sources told ABC News that DeSantis is anticipating what the outlet described as an “onslaught of attacks” from his competitors, despite the fact that former President Donald Trump’s participation remains unknown. However, if Trump chooses to forgo participation, that would, perhaps, enhance the chances of DeSantis standing as the sole target of competitors, given that he has remained in a distant second place in the vast majority of state-wide and national surveys.
Brett O’Donnell has been coaching DeSantis, holding what ABC News described as “regular Q&A sessions at least once a week, the sources said.”
If Trump does choose to debate, the DeSantis team largely plans to focus on contrasting the governor and the former president, likely using their handling of the coronavirus as a key example to highlight their differences.
DeSantis told ABC News in late July that his team is preparing for “both eventualities” — Trump participating or not.
“He says he’s not going to go; maybe he shows up,” he asserted, expressing that Trump should show up and participate in the debate.
“I think everyone should show up. You owe it to make the case to the people about why you should be president. And at the end of the day, nobody’s entitled to a nomination,” DeSantis told the outlet at the time.
It still remains unclear if Trump will participate, as he has cast doubt on the prospect for months.
“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?” Trump asked on Truth Social in April.
More recently, Trump told Breitbart News Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle in an exclusive interview weeks ago that he still had not decided if he would participate in the first GOP debate.
“I haven’t totally made a decision. I like the debates. I might be here because of the debates. I might have won against Hillary with the debates, and I might have gotten the nomination because of the debates,” Trump said, noting that the viewership will be greatly affected if he chooses not to show up.
“But when you’re leading by 50 and 60 points against these people, and you have people at zero, and one and two — and then they’re going to be asking me hostile questions, and they probably won’t have much of an audience if I’m not in the debates, according to what I read,” Trump explained.
“If I’m not in the debates, then they’re not going to have a very big audience. It seems almost like it would be foolish to do them,” he continued, referring to Fox News as a “hostile network” and anticipating the general hostility toward him. In other words, Trump is unsure if he will actually benefit from participating in the debate.
“Reagan didn’t do them. Other people didn’t do them,” Trump said. “I don’t know that I should be doing it, to be up against a hostile network with hostile people that are polling at zero. I mean, they don’t have any votes. One of them actually had a zero with an arrow pointing left. I’m trying to figure out what that means. It probably means they have too many votes, you know, like the election. But they’re at one, two, three, four, five, maybe—and I’m in the 60s. I see a poll the other day; I’m at 78, and you have people at zero.”
“I feel it’s sort of foolish to be doing it,” Trump added. “I think it could be stupid—it could be a stupid thing to do. But I have not made up a decision. I don’t mind doing them. I like to do them—I enjoy them, actually, and I think they’re a good thing. But when you’re leading somebody by 50 or 60 points, I think doing it might be foolish.”
WATCH — Trump: “Sort of Foolish” to Do 1st GOP Debate with Lead Since Fox News “Hostile Network”
Donald Trump Jr. expressed similar sentiments when asked by Breitbart News if his father should participate in the first debate.
“Listen, I’m torn on it. I mean, the meme general in me wants to see it because I know he’ll do great,” he began. “At the same time, am I gonna give, you know, Asa Hutchinson, polling at .01 percent, you know, Chris Christie, polling at one percent, you know, a three-hour window to basically crap all over you?” he asked.
“It doesn’t seem like intelligent strategy. So I’m torn in the sense that I want to see it because I know my father will do well, just like he crushed, you know, on the CNN town hall,” he added.
WATCH — Donald Trump Jr.: I’m “Torn” on Father Participating in RNC Debate
DeSantis’s debate prep coincides with major shakeups in his campaign — from laying off dozens of staffers to replacing his chief of staff.
Nevertheless, DeSantis’s campaign maintains it will be ready for whatever happens on August 23.
“Regardless of whether or not Donald Trump is afraid to debate, Ron DeSantis is looking forward to being on stage in Milwaukee talking about his plans to beat Joe Biden, reverse the decline in our nation, and revive America’s future,” DeSantis’s campaign communications director, Andrew Romeo, told ABC News.