Gordan Ackley, Chairman of the Republican Party in the Virgin Islands, floated the idea of an amendment to the Republican National Convention rules which would essentially make former President Donald Trump ineligible to nab the GOP nomination for president.
“As a member of the RNC, I would support a rules amendment that requires a candidate to participate in all RNC-sanctioned debates to be eligible for nomination at the 2024 convention,” Ackley said on X following Trump essentially announcing that he will not participate in any Republican National Committee debates this primary season.
After months of speculation, Trump essentially affirmed last week that he will not participate in the first Republican National Committee debate taking place August 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Trump wrote on Truth Social:
Many people are asking whether or not I will be doing the DEBATES? ALL AMERICANS have been clamoring for a President of extremely High Intelligence. As everyone is aware, my Poll numbers, over a “wonderful” field of Republican candidates, are extraordinary. In fact, I am leading the runner up, whoever that may now be, by more than 50 Points. Reagan didn’t do it, and neither did others. People know my Record, one of the BEST EVER, so why would I Debate? I’M YOUR MAN. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
That coincided with a New York Times report asserting that Trump will instead sit down for a one-on-one interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson — a great irony, given that Fox News’s Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum are moderating the first debate.
Days later, Trump took to Truth Social, indicating that he will not participate in any of the GOP primary debates — not just the first one. He cited a CBS News poll showing him 46 points ahead of Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who he said is “crashing like an ailing bird.”
“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!” Trump announced.
Trump has long hinted that he would not participate in the GOP debates, telling Breitbart News in an exclusive interview in July that it could be “foolish” to do so. As he has done in recent social media posts, Trump pointed to his double-digit lead in the vast majority of polls.
“But when you’re leading by 50 and 60 points against these people, and you have people at zero, and 1 and 2—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. 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,” Trump said at the time, defending his reasoning.
“Reagan didn’t do them. Other people didn’t do them. 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,” Trump continued.
“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: Exclusive — Trump: “Sort of Foolish” to Do First GOP Debate with Lead Since Fox News “Hostile Network”
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Editor’s Note: This piece has been updated.