The first round of televised debates in the Republican nomination process will take place on Thursday night.
Former president Donald Trump is apparently convinced that he will end up being the Republican presidential candidate anyway, and has thus announced that he is dropping the televised debate.
Thus, debate organizer Fox News is left with a bunch of Republican candidates who will fight to topple Trump.
At the time of writing, the Republican Party has confirmed that eight Republicans participating in the first debate round:
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Vice President Mike Pence, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson.
Trump leads overwhelmingly over all the Republican challengers in absolutely every poll. On a recent CBS News-measurement Trump gets 62 percent support. DeSantis ends up at 16 percent, while Ramaswamy ends up in third place with 7 percent support.
Pence, Scott, Haley, Christie, Burgum and Hutchinson get 5.3, 2, 2, 1 and 1 percent respectively.
Anti-woke
On the last national survey to Emerson College the ex-president has 56 per cent. DeSantis ends up with 10 percent support and thus has to share second place with newcomer Ramaswamy.
US expert and Civita advisor Eirik Løkke describes Ramaswamy as an opportunist and strong defender of Trump.
– He has launched himself as an anti-candidate. That despite his minority background. He has long said that the FBI (Federal Police in the USA) should be shut down, so he is a candidate with quite extreme opinions, says Løkke to Nettavisen.
Ramaswamy has also been mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate for Trump, although he himself rejects this.
Proclaims ten commandments of his own
Ramaswamy, who is a 38-year-old businessman, has launched ten of his own commandments – or so-called “truths” – for his own election campaign 2024.
God is real. There are two genders. Human development requires fossil fuels. Reverse racism is racism. An open border is no border. Parents decide on the education of their children. The nuclear family is the best form of governance known to mankind. Capitalism lifts people out of poverty. There are three state powers, not four. The US Constitution is the strongest guarantor of freedom throughout history.
Absurd context
The Republican TV debate takes place in a rather absurd context. The big favorite Trump, who thus refuses to participate in the debate, is accused in four criminal cases.
The day after the debate, Trump will report to the police in the state of Georgia. The ex-president is accused of election influence in Georgia, and has accepted bail of 200,000 dollars in the criminal case.
Trump refers to the criminal cases as a witch hunt and claims that the judiciary has been politicized.
Løkke says that the debate will undoubtedly be characterized by Trump, even if the former president shines with his physical absence.
– This will clearly influence the debate. The other candidates are sure to be challenged on what they think about the indictments against Trump. It will be interesting to hear what they have to say. Chris Christie will attack completely, says Løkke.
– Was punished for telling the truth
– It is also a question that will certainly be asked during the debate. If not, it’s absolutely miserable. And the question is: Was the 2020 election a fair election that Joe Biden won? This is the very litmus test for the state of democracy in the United States and what the Republican Party actually thinks about the election results. We know what happened when Liz Cheney came out and tried to tell the truth. She was punished by her own party, he says.
Among others, Fox News’ Bret Baier is leading the debate. Løkke considers Baier to be a credible and skilled journalist.
– Is it an advantage or disadvantage for Trump that he chooses not to stand in the first TV debate, Løkke?
– Time will show. With the lead Trump has now, I’m not sure how much of a role it will play from or until. He leads so much that if he doesn’t get the nomination, it will be very surprising and almost a sensation. I don’t know of any candidates who have led so much and yet lost the nomination, says Løkke.
– One should not exaggerate the importance of this, and there are arguments both for and against him taking part in the debate. As he himself says, why should he be there when he leads so much? By not being there, he also doesn’t risk saying something stupid. On the other hand, it can create the impression that he is a coward who does not dare to stand up, he says.
– How exciting will the debate be without Trump?
– It will be exciting, but less exciting than if he had been there. This will be an opportunity for the other candidates to show what kind of ideas and visions they have for the United States, says Løkke.
– I will not be silent
It was on Sunday night that Trump announced that he is skipping the first televised debate in the Republican nomination process
“The public knows who I am and what a successful presidency I had, with energy independence, strong borders and defense, the biggest tax cuts ever, no inflation, the strongest economy in history and much more,” Trump writes on the Truth Social platform.
“THEREFORE I WILL NOT APPEAR IN THE DEBATES,” Trump wrote.
2023-08-22 20:13:59
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