2024 ELECTION/DEBATES/RON DESANTIS: “The leading Republican candidate for president, Donald J. Trump, is likely to skip at least one of the first two debates of the 2024 Republican presidential nominating contest, according to five people who have discussed the matter with the former president…
In private comments to aides and confidants in recent weeks, Mr. Trump has made it clear that he does not want to breathe life into his Republican challengers by sharing the stage with them. Mr. Trump has led his nearest rival, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, by around 30 percentage points in recent polls. All other contenders are polling in single digits.”
-Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, “Trump Likely to Sit Out One or Both of First Two G.O.P. Debates,” nytimes.com, May 2, 2023