RNC Members Admit Debates Without Trump Likely Pointless

Several top Republicans say that changes should be made.

(L–R) North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former South Carolina Gov. and UN ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, and former Vice President Mike Pence at the second Republican presidential primary debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., on Sept. 27, 2023. Pedro Ugarte/AFP via Getty Images

Several members of the Republican National Committee (RNC) admitted that recent debates with GOP presidential candidates appear to be meaningless without former President Donald Trump, who is by far the most popular Republican candidate.

The former president, who is polling well at least 40 percentage points over the rest of the field, has not attended either the first or second debates, hosted by Fox News. He has said that because of his poll numbers and the fact that he was a former president, he doesn’t have to attend the events, while RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel has said that candidates need to sign a pledge to support the eventual GOP presidential candidate.