This may prove to be a disturbing development in the nascent 2024 GOP primary. Former President Donald Trump went out on his Truth Social account and suggested that discussions of primary debates are premature and he may not be inclined to debate any of his potential opponents. He seems put off by the fact that nobody sought his “approval” for having any debates and suggested that he didn’t need to spend his time being “libeled and abused” by a hostile liberal media. If he’s not careful, he may talk himself straight out of the nomination in a race where the polls currently show him holding a commanding lead. (The Right Scoop)

Trump has just posted on Truth Social that he’s rejecting the Republican Primary debates that are being scheduled for this fall.

Trump writes “I see that everybody is talking about the Republican Debates, but nobody got my approval, or the approval of the Trump Campaign, before announcing them. When you’re leading by seemingly insurmountable numbers, and you have hostile Networks with angry, TRUMP & MAGA hating anchors asking the “questions,” why subject yourself to being libeled and abused?”

Here’s the full post.

I suppose we shouldn’t just assume that this is Trump’s actual plan for the primary. TRS speculates that Trump may be making this sort of threat simply to gain some leverage over how the debates are structured. That might involve the dates, the locations, the moderators, or all of the above. We can’t rule that out, of course. Trump’s reputation as both a dealmaker and a grandstander is legendary and well-deserved.

Others are suggesting that he’s afraid to debate DeSantis. That doesn’t have the ring of truth to it for me. It’s never advantageous to agree to a debate when you’re leading in the polls, but Trump has previously participated in every debate that was offered and really seemed to enjoy being part of the show.

But I would suggest that he needs to be careful here. Acting as if anyone (including the RNC) needs his “permission” to hold debates makes it sound as if the party owes the nomination to him. Trump is not currently the President so he isn’t the nominee by default. That’s a decision for the party’s voters to make. Acting otherwise simply reinforces the image of Washington as a place where the permanent Powers That Be from both parties in the Swamp get to make all of the calls and the “little people” should simply accept what they’re given. It’s not a good look.

While we’re on the subject, you shouldn’t be able to declare yourself the default candidate even if you are the incumbent president. That’s what Joe Biden is trying to do and the DNC is going along with it. Joe Biden may be the President, but he’s a president that fewer than a quarter of the voters want to see running again. And he’s already picking up some credible challengers, including RFK Jr. The Democrats have every reason in the world to hold a real primary at this point and their voters shouldn’t tolerate this sort of coronation when other viable options exist.

If either Biden or Trump refuses to debate and the RNC and the DNC try to go along with that, the other candidates need to organize their own debate. Then we can take a torch to the MSM if they refuse to cover the events. People don’t need a permit from either of the major party committees to talk.