Tuesday on the Fox Business Network, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump reacted to the decision of Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), another candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, to not participate in the so-called upcoming undercard debate to be hosted by the Fox Business Network prior to Thursday’s main GOP presidential debate on the network.
Trump said he did not think it was a mistake to do so, but suggested Paul go back to Kentucky and run to be reelected to his U.S. Senate seat.
Partial transcript as follows:
CAVUTO: Let me ask you about the upcoming debates. Rand Paul has indicated because he is on the first debate, the opening debate before the major one that you will be on, that he is not coming, that he is skipping the debate all together.
What do you think of that?
TRUMP: I can understand why. I mean, he is a United States senator. He was favored to win. A lot of people thought he could conceivably win. And you know, I mean, I can understand why he wouldn’t want to do it.
It’s a tough thing to do. He’s been on the main stage and now he is being put on a lower stage and he’s a sitting senator, he’s a respected person and I can understand fully why he wouldn’t want to go to the second stage.
CAVUTO: But do you think it is a mistake that he’s robbed of an opportunity to talk to what would still be a substantial audience?
TRUMP: I don’t think it’s a mistake. I don’t think it’s either — I don’t think matters. I mean, frankly, for him. I think what he should do is go back and run for the senator of Kentucky and do a good job as a senator. I think it’s not going to make any difference but I can fully understand why he wouldn’t want to go on the second stage.
Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor
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