Staff Reports
Former President Donald Trump made an appearance on “Sunday Morning Futures” and hinted that he may not participate in future GOP debates. As the front-runner for the Republican 2024 nomination, Trump took the opportunity to take a few jabs at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is currently in second place in the polls. Trump admitted that he was personally offended by DeSantis’ decision to run because he believed he had saved his first campaign for governor in 2018 by endorsing him. When asked about debating, Trump responded by saying that when you have a big lead, there’s no need to participate in debates. He pointed out that some of the other candidates are at zero or very low in the polls, so why let them ask questions and potentially bring him down? Trump also dismissed concerns that DeSantis could have a good debate and attract more voters, stating that DeSantis is actually losing ground in the polls.
https://twitter.com/grinchberry1/status/1680952241287512064?s=20
Now, on the other side of the ring, DeSantis made an appearance on “Media Buzz” and took a direct shot at Trump. He criticized Trump for not delivering on his promises during his presidency and for his failure to “drain the swamp.” While DeSantis acknowledged his differences with the former president, he stated that he has no interest in attacking Trump or any other candidates personally and wants to focus on the issues. However, DeSantis does have some strong points of criticism against Trump’s COVID response and his inability to fully drain the swamp. When it comes to the border wall, DeSantis’ claims aren’t as strong, as Trump was able to get almost 500 miles of walls built despite opposition from Democrats. Unfortunately, Biden shut down the operation upon taking office.
Trump strongly suggests to Maria Bartiromo that he will not participate in the first GOP debate pic.twitter.com/3l3Xpc8mT6
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 16, 2023
Ron DeSantis torches Donald Trump on policy:
"He promised to drain the swamp. It got worse. He did not drain the swamp. He promised to have the Mexico pay for a border wall. They did, like, 50 miles of wall. There's massive expanses still there. He said he was going to… pic.twitter.com/w3KviDc2D5
— Scott Morefield (@SKMorefield) July 16, 2023
From a conservative standpoint, it’s understandable why Trump would be hesitant to participate in debates when he has such a strong lead in the polls. After all, why risk it when he’s so far ahead? However, as a conservative Republican, I believe it would be a shame if Trump decided to skip the debates. I would love to see him and DeSantis go head-to-head and see their quick wit and intelligence in action. It’s important for Trump to face tough questions and be prepared for battle if and when he becomes the nominee. As the saying goes, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” We need our best candidate in the ring come November 2024.
