Trump refuses to sign pledge to support the eventual GOP nominee
As soon as I heard a while back that participation in the Republican presidential debates for 2024 would require entrants to pledge to support the eventual nominee, I was virtually certain that Trump would not be participating and that he would refuse to sign such a pledge. And so this news is no surprise:
Former President Donald Trump said he would not sign the loyalty pledge that is a requirement for participating in the upcoming first Republican presidential primary debate.
Trump has already met the other criteria, including minimum donor and polling thresholds, to participate in the debate set for Aug. 23 in Milwaukee.
But Trump, the clear front-runner for the Republican nomination, said Wednesday night that he would not sign a candidate pledge agreeing to support the eventual party nominee, no matter who it is.
“I wouldn’t sign the pledge. Why would I sign a pledge if there are people on there that I wouldn’t have?” Trump asked in an interview on Newsmax. …
The former president has repeatedly signaled he plans to skip the debates, contending that there was no point in exposing himself to a barrage of attacks from his rivals who are far behind him in the polls.
Of course he doesn’t want to debate in the first place, even if there wasn’t a pledge requirement. Why should he? He’s way ahead because the are so many completely committed Trump loyalists, or so it would appear from the polls. Why would he enter a series of debates – exercises in which he’s never been especially strong – and allow himself to be measured directly against opponents who may be more articulate in that arena? Why would he want to stand next to people who are a lot younger? No, he much prefers rallies where he can do his patented schtick unopposed, in front of adoring fans. No one ever said Trump didn’t have a well-developed ego.
In addition, he wants to keep his options open for running 3rd-party in case he manages to not get the nomination. That way he can act as a spoiler. I think he’d rather Biden were elected than one of his rivals. If that sounds like a harsh judgment on my part, so be it. I have said many times that I think Trump has changed somewhat since his bout of COVID right before the 2020 election, and since the election itself and of course J6 and then his current prosecutions. I believe his always-present narcissism and anger have grown greater, and his judgment poorer. He never was a conventional Republican, and if for some reason he fails to win the nomination in 2024 he will not hesitate to turn on the party that he will feel has so wronged him, and he will want the party to go down with his own ship and have no problem acting as spoiler.
As I’ve said so many times before when I’m predicting something upsetting, I hope I’m wrong about that. But as it is, I think that Trump loyalists will stick with Trump no matter what, and it will lead to the election of Biden or a Biden-replacement-to-be-named-later.
If this scenario ends up happening that way, I think it will be an unforced error and a tragedy.
I suppose Trump’s refusal to participate in the debates might end up backfiring on him, however. If one or several of the GOP candidates are especially impressive, Trump might lose a significant number of his supporters. I suppose that could end up mattering. But from what I see online, the vast majority of his current most loyal supporters would follow him right over that cliff and help elect Biden or Biden’s replacement.
no he’s the same hes always been, he knew there was something wrong with the way they were going to use the mail, but was barr paying attention, he’s like one of those mannikins that is there for show, who knew the rule of law would turn out to be a joke and everyone who mattered would betray their oath, in 2000 they stood for w, in 2020, they let cities burn cops be murdered by the stacks, of course the implicit threat, of violence toward the Court, was clear then, in 2022, it was explicit,
Maybe. That seems like an awfully strong statement on what really is little more than a hunch. Of course, it could be true. But projecting what someone will do rarely works unless you really understand him.
I think you have it about right, Neo. Alas.
I agree with him that there are some people running who would be disastrous if nominated. However, the tyranny coming from another four years of a Democrat in charge would be far worse, and how likely is it, really, that some of the Republican field will be nominated? At this point, it’s Trump, DeSantis, or Ramaswamy, as I see it. Trump wants the spot, and he’s willing to be as destructive as necessary to get it.
As you say, there is nothing Trump will gain from participating in the “debates”. Refusing to sign the pledge is just a way for Trump to attack his rivals for the nomination. I can’t see how any of the current candidates peels off support from Trump. The only one that approximates Trump’s views is Ramaswamy, why vote for him instead of Trump?
Trump goes his own way and I abandoned second guessing him round about the time he secured the 2016 nomination – not going to restart now.
Eeyore:
I knew he would do what I am reporting on in this post, however.
Nor am I saying that for sure he would run 3rd-party if he lost the nomination – I think he might, but since I also think that he will win the nomination, so we’ll never find out.
And I think he will not win the election.
Again, of course I could be wrong. But that’s what I see at the moment, although events could change things.
I also believe that the bulk of Trump’s supporters are happy to lose with Trump than win with anyone else. Or at least they refuse to see reality and prefer to live in a dreamworld were large swaths of people who obviously loath Trump can somehow be persuaded over the next 17 months or so.
Neo,
You have a fairly sophisticated audience here. Would it be possible for you to set up a poll to see with this group who really is favored for the nomination? Something I would really like to know. How many ever Trumpers, no Trumpers, and what is the level of support for the other candidates? This wouldn’t say anything about the actual primary, but I’m curious to see what the thinking is of those who follow all of this closely. Maybe repeat after the debates.
I would like to know what was the proper course of action, when your country is under biological attack and all the authorities pretend otherwise, when there is a terrorist insurgency coast to coast, and most were silent about it, when you know that there is a corrupt adversary on the take from one or two foreign powers,
we know what mitt romney’s reaction to a tiny fraction of this, well he supported the terrorist insurgency, who knows what mccain would have said, but likely it would be pitiful
miguel cervantes:
Neither Romney nor McCain are in the running this year. The closest thing we have to them is Pence, and he’s not going anywhere. And perhaps Christie, who’s also not going anywhere in this campaign.
And by the way, Trump did not handle your first hurdle – “when your country is under biological attack and all the authorities pretend otherwise” – very well at all. DeSantis actually did a lot better with his reaction in Florida. Ron [correction: Rand] Paul has been pretty good on that as well, although he’s just a senator and not in an executive position. But he’s been relentless against Fauci, and knows how to attack him because Paul is a doctor.
Thanks, Neo. And if you do set up a poll, as physicsguy suggested, I’d be happy to participate.
My read is that this has much more to do with Trump’s lack of trust in the Republican party organization, in the same way that the Democratic party organization sabotaged the nomination of Bernie Sanders in 2016 and 2020.
He won’t pledge to support the eventual nominee because he doesn’t trust the GOP not to rig it some way.
And a lot of Trump’s voters likely feel the same way. As do a lot of voters who don’t have particularly strong feelings for or against Trump, but do have about the competence and integrity of the Republican party organization.
Frederick, if Trump’s lack of trust in the Republican party organization is a key to this, then why did his chief of staff go to the RNC meeting to whip votes for Ronna McDaniel? This is the woman who led the organization in the 2020 election in which she failed to effectively work against illegal election modifications. (Source for this is Kurt Schlicter, who was at the RNC meeting and saw this personally, he says.)
To be fair to Trump, how can anybody look at the migrant situation, prices, foreign affairs, and Joe Biden’s own mental condition (and Kamala Harris’s) and conclude that electing Biden was a good thing? I know that half the country or more will never vote for Trump, but I wonder what the hell is wrong with them and whether it could possibly be true that nothing ever convince them that Biden was a mistake and Trump was better. When the real world is crazy, you don’t have to be crazy to think differently — but crazy or not, you could still be wrong.
Biden, Trump, and COVID. Faced with an unprecedented situation, when the top experts are all saying the same thing and foreign leaders are all doing the same thing, any president would do what Trump did. It was to his credit that he did listen to dissenting experts, but the consensus was too powerful to hold out against (that 50%+ that would rather believe Fauci and others than Trump also played a role in how things played out). Out of 50 states, at least one governor was bound to do something different. DeSantis did, and it turned out well for him and his state, but I wonder how much luck had to do with it.
I think DeSantis and staff read actual medical reports and considered economic and other side effects of shutdowns and mandates, as did I. This wasn’t luck; it was a considered decision.
Abraxas:
So, Trump’s wrong decisions about COVID are to be excused, whereas DeSantis’ right decisions are to be ascribed to random chance?
Doesn’t work for me.
neo (4:28 pm) mentions “Ron Paul . . . , although he’s just a senator.”
Let us not confuse the son with the dad. The senator, from Kentucky, is (Dr.) Rand Paul; his dad, Representative Ron Paul, hailed (and still hails) from Texas.
The federal rot is far too deep and widespread for any republican president to reverse the ship of state’s course.
The Left’s March Through the Institutions is legally irreversible.
The rule of law is gone and there is no peaceful redress of grievance.
The FBI’s war against “traditional” Catholics presages the left’s coming war upon Christians. Which strategically, makes perfect sense as most Jews are secular and Muslims will not ‘turn the other cheek’.
“If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also.” John 15:20
I don’t understand Trump’s Strategy with the RNC, and why he backed Romney’s Niece to re-election. May be because he counted the votes, and saw no way she could lose?
Election Fraud issues is a huge worry of mine, and every day more information is coming out saying it’s even worse than I thought. The latest info. out of MI is concerning.
https://substack.com/inbox/post/135899290
Trump is the establishment rino at this point. Vote for me or I’ll throw a tantrum
Frankly, I think it would be a good thing if he ended running third party. The only votes he would get would be the die-hard Trump partisans and the independents who hate Trump would feel more free to vote against Biden and for the Republican nominee.
It was painfully clear last November that there are a lot of voters who can’t bring themselves to vote for “Trump’s Party”. A third party run would make it clear that the GOP is not Trump’s party anymore.
But maybe that’s just wishful thinking.
M J R:
Whoops, thanks! Wrong Paul, of course, Will fix.
I have tried to put myself in Trump’s shoes to get a feel for what might be going through his head.
In his mind he’s a winner. He’s managed to fight his way through some tough times and come out on top. He is in fact, a winner. He likes projecting a tough, masculine image. It’s his imaged and many dislike it. It’s now called toxic masculinity.” At one time it was the accepted norm for men. He believes he has acted relatively ethically throughout his business career. (And the lack of evidence the Dems have found on him thus far bears that out.)
He tried to do a good job for the country while he was POTUS, despite major opposition. And he had some major successes. We were better off under his leadership.
Now consider this. While POTUS he was constantly attacked by the MSM, and even by government operatives within his own administration. He was vindictively impeached twice, and there was substantial evidence of fraud in the 2020 election, which he was unable to overcome. And the new POTUS was a man that Trump undoubtedly considers to be a third rater as a politician and as a man. And he’s not wrong about that.
As if that wasn’t enough, the Democrats are pursuing him through questionable indictments and lawfare to keep him from running an effective re-election campaign.
Stop and think how you would feel, if you had been treated so unfairly, so vindictively. PISSED!!!! That’s how I would feel.
Trump is a fighter if nothing else, and he is determined to fight to set things right and get his revenge. His judgement is undoubtedly clouded by his fury and raging anger.
Initially, his desire to serve the country as POTUS was based on what he saw as the good of the country. Because of his anger, he can probably no longer see it that way. He’s determined to win this time and get even. And who could blame him? I certainly don’t. I think his life has been turned into a Shakespearean tragedy. The final act is yet to come and none of us knows what it will be.
Unfortunately.
I remember the first debate when Biden blamed all 100,000+ US COVID deaths on Trump. It was maybe the most disgusting thing I ever heard in a presidential debate. And yet some people believed him, or let it pass without reaction or comment. Many of them had even attacked Trump earlier when he suggested saner polices like using the therapeutic drugs against the virus. COVID was an unprecedented global predicament and the US under Trump did about as well as anyone else. I wouldn’t have expected us to make out as well as some island country that could be cut off from the rest of the world.
I’d like to know just what data DeSantis was seeing on COVID — everybody knew that lockdowns would damage the economy, but what was the specific information he was getting that was more accurate than everyone else’s? At the time it looked like he was taking a gamble. The gamble paid off, but I’d still want to know how much was luck and how much was intelligent planning and foresight. If it really was the latter, I’ll give him credit for it (and hope it doesn’t go to his head).
@ Ray > “The latest info. out of MI is concerning.”
Understatement of the week, if not the year.
On the wide-spread operations of GBI Strategies LLC with “over 70 “organizing operations” in 20 states”:
The details are fascinating, like watching the Biden bribes pile up.
Secondly, the problem of unpurged voter rolls IOW absentee ballots waiting to be harvested, courtesy of Judicial Watch:
Most of the counties were actually Red, but the number of “voters” there was far outweighed by the number in Deep Blue Chicago and Cook County.
For more details about GBI, which make a fascinating story worthy of a movie plot, see:
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/08/breaking-exclusive-youll-never-guess-where-headquarters-multimillion/
If, as seems likely, Trump is convicted, then the promise of a pardon will be a big bargaining chip for any GOP nominee.
I think Rob is right about the promise of a pardon. Trump’s path to avoid spending the rest of his life in prison involves a Republican in the White House, a massive swallowing of ego to obtain a pardon from Kemp down in Georgia, and Alvin Bragg getting his just comeupance in NY, which I think is likely.
I think we’ve past the point where it is in Trump’s rational self-interest to drop out in return for a pardon from the GOP nominee (and maybe from Kemp too). I doubt that Trump can keep his ego sufficiently in check to even realize that.
Another issue for Trump is ballot access. Unless a third party with ballot access is wiling to give him their nomination, it would take a massive effort to gather the necessary signature and jump through all of the administrative hoops prior to the dealines, which will come quickly, especially if the GOP nomination wraps up late. This is not the kind of enterprise that MAGA world has been especially good at. Granted, any swingy states currently governed by Democrats would bend over backwards to get him on the ballot. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a coalition of Democrats and MAGA Republicans bend the rules to get Trump on the ballot in split control states like PA too.
What a mess. But the end result of Trump running third party is that Trump will spend the rest of his life in prison. I have to think that reality will get through at some point. At least I hope.
I suspect he is not thinking past the Republican nomination, which he intends to win. (But if he’s counting on winning the GOP nomination, why tick everyone off by not taking the pledge? Especially when he already did in South Carolina? He has A LOT of work to do if he wants to earn the support of the non-MAGA portions of the GOP as the nominee. This doesn’t help.)
What we’re witnessing here isn’t 3-D chess. The man is an egomaniacal fool.
unsurprisingly you miss the point, what the wrecking crew is doing to every aspects of this country, what they are doing to our electric grid, to the minds and bodies of children, how we will be at the mercy of China and Iran (that we paid the jizda two) the ten billion we have given AQ, the apex predator, who killed 3,000 of our citizens on our soil.
Abraxas, I can’t tell you what exact studies DeSantis saw in 2020. Since I was at that time aged 71, I read reports about COVID closely, starting with the Diamond Princess case study. It was clear that the death rate was much lower than hysterical reports claimed, even for people in my age range, and that younger people were seldom very sick, or sick at all. The statistics were even stronger for young children, who didn’t get the virus or transmit it. This meant that the best approach was to protect older adults and let other people go about their lives normally, and that’s what Florida did, starting in the summer of 2020. It was a reasonable public health policy based on data.
miguel cervantes – What does that have to do with Trump, and why do you assume that I miss the point?
I can see what the left is doing. I fully understand the cost of losing in 2024. The point that I think people miss is that running a kamikazee mission by nominating Trump next year is going to cause all of the things that you mention to continue for (at least) another four years and probably much longer.
they did because they stole the election, the Dems lie in order to achieve their objectives, the leading figures in our party, can’t be bothered to tell the truth, it’s not about Trump its about whether this country is worth anything after 2024, when though crime is an offense punishable by death, while actual mass destruction is rewarded, see andy ngo as just a small example
Let me know when the experts™ put Biden’s chances of beating Trump at +90%.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-poll-idUSKBN1322J1
The corrupt uniparty doesn’t approve of Trump, okay?
Just choose an acceptable candidate from the approved list and everything can go back to normal.
Being King has its privileges.