Former U.S. President Donald Trump to skip upcoming Republican primary debates

Former U.S. President Donald Trump said he would skip the upcoming Republican primary debates, citing his large lead in opinion polls as evidence that he was already well-known and liked by voters ahead of the 2024 election.

Trump has suggested for months he would likely pass on Wednesday night’s debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, arguing that it did not make sense to give his Republican rivals a chance to attack him given his sizeable lead in national polls.

Yesterday, a CBS poll showed he was the preferred candidate for 62 percent of Republican voters, with his closest rival Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at 16 percent. All other candidates in the primary race had less than 10 percent support.