By Bond Robertson 
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Per Olav Ødegard
Commentator at VG. Former foreign journalist and correspondent for VG USA. He writes mostly about international affairs.
In major speeches on social media, Donald Trump has stated that he will not participate in the election debates. He who loves the spotlight leaves the podium to his competitors.
That’s a comment. The comment expresses the writer’s position- Donald Trump refuses to participate in the first debate of the Republican presidential candidate hosted by the Republican Party and Fox News.
- Trump can boast very high numbers in the polls.
- Trump believes he has nothing to gain from participating in the debate, as his opponents could use the opportunity to attack him head-on.
- He is expected to be interviewed by Tucker Carlson, one of his favorite hosts, on another network at the same time as Fox News.
- Trump had planned to present a 100-page report at a news conference Monday that he claimed would clear him of allegations of election interference in Georgia, but the event was canceled.
- The other 18 defendants have until Friday to voluntarily turn themselves in to the Georgia court.
- At least eight candidates are eligible to participate in the Fox News debate on Wednesday. To qualify, a candidate must have at least 1% support in three approved polls and have received financial support from at least 40,000 individuals.
The Republican presidential candidates will meet on Wednesday for the first debate this year. The Republican Party and Fox News need Trump. They urged him to join the televised debate. But Trump seems to think he can do just fine without both.
The man who was not present will overshadow the debate in Milwaukee. Trump, of course, is the biggest attraction in the Republican campaign circus. The warm-up band plays, but the one who everyone has come to see never comes on stage.
Everyone knows who I am, he says. And rightly so. He adds that everyone knows how successful I am as president. There are very different opinions about that. But Trump can, with good reason, boast of very good polls. He has, in his words, built a “legendary administration”.
Trump has nothing to gain from facing the other candidates in the debate. For him it is an exclusive danger that he can be without him.
Many of his opponents would have taken this opportunity to launch harsh attacks vis-à-vis the former president, who is now indicted in four wide-ranging criminal cases.
It’s much safer, then, for Trump to be interviewed by one of his favorite anchors, Tucker Carlson, who recently had to leave Fox News in disgrace. The interview is expected to be broadcast on another media channel at the same time as the live Fox debate.
A Trump boycott would make Fox News get fewer viewers. Trump has increasingly expressed his displeasure with his former favorite channel not always giving him the unreserved support he expects. Trump also shows that he is screwing up what the leadership believes in the GOP apparatus. After all, he has his own movement, Make America Great Again, where everything is about making Trump great and strong again.
On Monday, Trump should have delivered a sweeping 100-page report at a news conference that he claimed would clear him of all accusations of election interference in Georgia. A week ago, Trump said a defense statement would result in the charges against him being dropped and him fully acquitted.
Nothing came of the announced press conference. Trump’s lawyers apparently made him change his mind. Instead, the “evidence” must be presented to the court, according to Trump.
While the other candidates prepare for televised debates, Trump and 18 other defendants have until Friday to turn themselves in voluntarily to a Georgia court. It will not impose restrictions on Trump’s campaign until March next year at the earliest. Then the attorney general wants to sue the case against Trump and his associates.
At least eight candidates will participate in the Fox News debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Wednesday. To qualify, a candidate must have at least 1% support in three approved polls and have received financial support from at least 40,000 individuals.
Participants are also required to commit to supporting the candidate nominated by the Republican Party at the national convention next summer. It is hard to imagine Trump signing such a promise. After the 2020 election, it became clear to everyone that Trump could never concede defeat.
It will not be necessary in the primaries. In the latest CBS poll, Trump has the support of 62 percent of Republican voters. Only 16 percent support Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. All others are lagging behind.
There is a storm surrounding Trump, but he surfs relentlessly. They will succeed in his nomination for the third time.