Trump Roasts GOP Primary Field, Jests First Debate Is a Tryout to ‘See Who I MIGHT Consider For Vice President!’

AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

Former President Donald Trump on Monday took a jab at his 2024 GOP presidential primary rivals, jesting that the upcoming Fox News debate was a tryout for his vice president.

Trump has vowed to skip the first debate on Aug. 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

“Let them debate so I can see who I MIGHT consider for Vice President!” Trump posted to his Truth Social. So far, Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott, Nikki Haley, Chris Christie, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Doug Burgum have qualified for the debate.

The Associated Press noted over the weekend that while Trump appears unlikely to show up, given his recent public statements, we may still end up seeing him in the media.

“In the meantime, aides have discussed potential alternative programming if Trump opts for a rival event. One option Trump has floated is an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who now has a program on X, the site formerly known as Twitter,” the AP wrote of Trump’s plans to skip the debate.

Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, has yet to meet the criteria to qualify for the debate. “Pence and his advisers have expressed confidence he will do so, noting that most other Republican hopefuls took a month or two of being active candidates to meet the mark. Pence entered the race on June 7, the same day as Burgum and one day after Christie,” the AP added.

To make the debate stage candidates need “at least 1% in three high-quality national polls or a mix of national and early-state polls, between July 1 and Aug. 21, and a minimum of 40,000 donors, with 200 in 20 or more states.”

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