Trump confirms not participating in election debate

Washington [US], August 22: Former US President Donald Trump has said he will not participate in the first Republican presidential debate this week, saying his lead by a large margin in the polls is proof of his support. The public knew him well before the 2024 US election.
For the past several months, Mr. Trump has hinted at not participating in the debate scheduled to take place in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA), on the evening of August 23 (local time). According to the former White House owner , giving Republican opponents the opportunity to attack him is not a wise strategy in the context of national polls showing him as the leading candidate.
"The public knows who I am and how I've had a successful presidency. So I'm not going to participate in the debates," Trump said on the social networking platform Truth Social on August 20. , according to Reuters.
He pointed to the results of the latest poll of Republican presidential candidates, published by CBS on the same day. Accordingly, 62% of respondents said they would vote for Mr. Trump in the US presidential election next year, while support was for his closest opponent, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida. , at only 16%. All other candidates have single-digit approval ratings.
Mr. Trump's absence from this week's debate could make Mr. DeSantis the center of attack on the stage. In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said the Florida governor was "falling down like a sick bird".
Source: ThanhNien Newspaper