Former President Donald Trump wants to end the GOP debates

Writer: Emma Heaton
Published: Updated:
Trump
AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

Former President Donald Trump is confident that he’ll win the GOP nomination for president, and he wants the debates to end.

Trump skipped out on debate number one, writing on his social media site, “The public knows who I am & what a successful presidency I had.”

The former president’s absence during the first debate didn’t hurt him, and supporters stood by his side.

Then came debate two, which Trump skipped as well.

Still, his poll numbers went up, and when Trump’s GOP rivals took the debate stage in Miami Wednesday night, the former president flexed his muscles in nearby Hialeah.

Trump held a rally there where he proved again, in his way, how he can upstage his competition.

“I think they’re at a debate tonight,” said Trump, “nobody’s talking about it. Everyone’s watching, so it’s 61% for your favorite president, me, and 10% for ‘Ron Desanctimonious.'”

Trump told his massive crowd of supporters that his being there, speaking to them, is much harder than being at the debate.

“You know, the last debate was the lowest-rated debate in the history of politics, so that’s a hell of a lot harder to do that in debate,” said Trump.

The crowd ate it up, Wednesday night, and millions continue to look past all the turmoil that surrounds the former president.

From January 6th to his many indictments, UCF Political Scientist Aubrey Jewett is not surprised.

“Trump, you know, he just marches to his own drum and is able to do things,” said Jewett, “and as long as he has strong support in the Republican base, to be able to continue to do pretty much what he wants.”

Despite his high poll numbers compared to his rivals, Trump continues to stir the pot.

“Yeah, indeed,” said Jewett, “Trump’s lead nationally is over 40 points in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. It’s over 30 points, and so, as this continues to go on this GOP pre-primary season, it really does make you think it does look like Trump’s got this thing wrapped up. “

However, Jewett said, there is too much time between now and the Iowa caucuses and certainly the general election to crown Trump president right now.

“Let me put it this way,” said Jewett, “if something did happen to Trump, he was convicted or put in jail or something like that, then they think, oh, well, I’m the one that’s left standing on the most popular of all the non-Trump candidates, so maybe the party would turn to me.”

Ron DeSantis is betting on it.

What should voters expect to happen in the future?

Jewett said in the short-term, don’t expect any drastic changes.

Rivals may drop out of the race as the polls continue to stay on Trump’s side, so we could see three GOP rivals instead of the five who are there now.

There are still 67 days to the Iowa caucuses and months until the primaries, so anything can happen.

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