Would Trump be making a mistake by skipping the GOP debates?

“The 360” shows you diverse perspectives on the day’s top stories and debates.

What’s happening

As some of his Republican rivals go to unprecedented lengths in hopes of qualifying for next month’s GOP presidential debate, former President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested he might choose to skip the event entirely.

“When you have a big lead, you don't do it,” Trump said during a recent interview with Fox News, citing his huge lead in primary polls. “It’s actually not fair. Why would you let somebody that's at zero or one or two or three [percent] be popping you with questions?”

Trump and six other candidates have met the polling and donor thresholds set by the Republican National Committee to earn a place on the stage at the opening primary debate on Aug. 23 in Milwaukee.

Several of his challengers have publicly challenged him to participate. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called on Trump to “step up” and make his case to voters, adding that “nobody's entitled to this nomination.” Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley suggested failing to appear would signal that Trump is “scared” and Ex-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said bluntly “If Trump doesn’t want to debate then he doesn’t want to be president.”

Missing a debate would be nothing new for Trump. During the 2016 GOP primary, he skipped a Fox News debate shortly before the Iowa caucuses amid a public spat with the network’s host Megyn Kelly, and a later debate was canceled after he said he would not attend. Four years later, Trump’s refusal to debate remotely after testing positive for COVID-19 caused his second debate against Joe Biden to be canceled.

Why there’s debate

Some political commentators think Trump would be making a mistake by skipping one or more of the upcoming debates. They argue that he has the chance to effectively seal the nomination by putting together a dominating performance against a group of rivals who are unlikely to be able hold their own in a verbal sparring match against him. There’s also risk, many add, that ceding the stage to his rivals could give one of them a rare chance to dominate the spotlight, potentially setting them up to cut into his polling lead.

But others say avoiding the debates is the best strategy for Trump. For one, it spares him the potential danger of making a major mistake during heated exchanges with opponents whose only goal will be to try to take him down. Trump's absence could also significantly reduce the number of primary voters who watch the debate, denying his challengers the chance to make their case to a large audience — especially if he holds a competing event at the same time.

What’s next

Uncertainty about Trump’s presence at debates appears likely to be a story throughout the GOP primaries and into the general election if he wins the nomination. Trump recently said he and President Biden “have to definitely debate.” But last year the RNC voted to boycott the Commission on Presidential Debates — which has organized every presidential debate since the late 1980s — over complaints that the commission was biased against Trump.

Perspectives

Trump's absence could give another candidate the chance to break through

“I think he’s making a mistake because somebody else could do something extraordinary. … When somebody breaks through, you can get a snowball going.” — Van Jones, CNN

He has too many vulnerabilities his opponents could seize on

“It’s also difficult to see the political upside for Trump of participating in primary debates. They open him up to criticism from his fellow Republicans, including some who would stand to gain a lot of electoral visibility from taking a stand against him. He would have to defend his record in front of a large audience and respond in the moment to attacks targeting his potential weak spots.” — Joe Perticone, Bulwark

Republican primary voters may think he’s running from a fight

“If Mr. Trump refuses to debate in the primaries, voters will be entitled to wonder what the former President is afraid of.” — Editorial, Wall Street Journal

DeSantis needs to land a knockout punch; Trump shouldn’t give him the chance

“A debate where [DeSantis] shows substance and strength against Trump could be that elusive game-changer his campaign has been seeking.” — Editorial, Miami Herald

He shouldn’t pass up a chance to end the primary race for good

“He is a prizefighter. He belongs in the ring defending his title. Conventional wisdom might suggest staying away to protect his lead, but he has never been a conventional candidate. A strong performance by Mr. Trump in the first few debates could shore up the nomination for him.” — Scott Walker, former Wisconsin governor, Washington Times

There’s no better way to make his challengers seem irrelevant than by refusing to face them

“As conventional wisdom strategy, it makes sense, unlikely to undermine his base of support while portraying the debate as a group discussion of also-rans.” — Carl Golden, Portland Press Herald

His rivals are no threat to him on the debate stage

“There is a fantasy that underlies the ever-growing 2024 Republican presidential field: Governor X or Senator Y or Outsider Entrepreneur Z gets into a televised debate and tears Donald Trump a new one, becoming an overnight sensation awash in new donors, volunteers for Iowa and New Hampshire, and adulation in the mainstream media. It’s very unlikely to happen.” — Ed Kilgore, New York

Trump would be a fool to voluntarily step into Christie’s crosshairs

“Christie’s particular brand of bombast, and his take-no-shit persona, makes for the sort of force-field that Trump, who is used to dominating any environment he enters, may find particularly difficult to navigate. That’s likely the real reason that Trump would absent himself from Milwaukee.” — Sasha Abramsky, Truthout

Whether he debates or not, Trump is still in position to cruise to the nomination

“Welcome to the new age of Republican presidential primary debates. Without Trump, the big audience disappears. With Trump, the audience disappears for any other candidate to offer a vision for the future of the party.” — Juan Williams, The Hill