Trump says he won’t sign RNC loyalty pledge ahead of first debate
Donald Trump said Wednesday he will not sign a pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee — an RNC requirement for participation in the first primary debate. The former president rejected signing the pledge during an interview with Newsmax’s Eric Bolling, adding that he would announce next week whether he plans to attend the first debate on Aug. 23. “I wouldn’t sign the pledge,” Trump said. “Why would I sign a pledge if there are people on there that I wouldn’t have?” He told Bolling that he could name “three or four” of the GOP challengers that he would not support for president, specifically criticizing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson over the course of the interview. RNC chair Ronna McDaniel has made signing onto the pledge the final requirement for Republican presidential hopefuls to participate in the debate later this month. Former Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) has declined to sign the pledge over concerns
Donald Trump said Wednesday he will not sign a pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee — an RNC requirement for participation in the first primary debate.
The former president rejected signing the pledge during an interview with Newsmax’s Eric Bolling, adding that he would announce next week whether he plans to attend the first debate on Aug. 23.
“I wouldn’t sign the pledge,” Trump said. “Why would I sign a pledge if there are people on there that I wouldn’t have?”
He told Bolling that he could name “three or four” of the GOP challengers that he would not support for president, specifically criticizing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson over the course of the interview.
RNC chair Ronna McDaniel has made signing onto the pledge the final requirement for Republican presidential hopefuls to participate in the debate later this month. Former Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) has declined to sign the pledge over concerns about Trump’s candidacy, and both Christie and Hutchinson have cast doubt on the pledge’s value and enforceability.
"It's the Republican Party nomination, and the pledge is staying and anybody who wants to seek the nomination of our party should pledge to support the voters," McDaniel said on Fox News last month.
Although Trump — who remains the Republican frontrunner by a wide margin — has repeatedly suggested that he might not attend the primary debate, he said Wednesday that he had not “totally ruled it out.”
"I'd like to do it,” Trump said. “I've actually gotten very good marks on debating talents. But you want to be, you know, they want a smart president. They want somebody that's going to be smart. So we have to do the smart thing.”
If Trump does decide to attend the debate, he will likely be taking the stage alongside Christie, DeSantis, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum — all of whom have met the RNC requirements for participation.
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