Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump suggested on Monday that his rivals in the GOP primary will just be debating for a chance to be his running mate.
“Let them debate so I can see who I MIGHT consider for Vice President!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The former president has a clear lead over the rest of the GOP primary field. A New York Times/ Sienna College Poll released on Monday shows the twice-indicted candidate leading with 54%. Florida governor Ron DeSantis is in a distant second with just 17%. Former Vice-President Mike Pence, Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C) all received three percent. Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy received 2%.
Trump has suggested that he does not plan to participate in the debate hosted by Fox News and set for August 23 in Milwaukee.
“When you’re way up, you don’t do debates. If you’re even or down you do debates, but when you’re way up, what’s the purpose of doing the debate?” Trump said during an interview earlier this year.
The former president also took issue with Fox hosting the debate, calling the network “hostile” towards him.
“They say, ‘Why would we debate?’ I would have a hostile group of anchors — a hostile network — asking questions. Why would I do that?” Trump said.
