Former US President Donald Trump has refused to back the Republican party’s eventual 2024 nominee, despite early support from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
The “Beat Biden pledge," which Trump vowed not to sign, is a key requirement for the first GOP presidential primary debate to curb internal strife during primaries and the general election.
“I wouldn’t sign the pledge. Why would I sign a pledge? There are people on there that I wouldn’t have. I wouldn’t have certain people, you know, somebody that I’d endorse,” Trump was quoted as saying by The New York Post. The 77-year-old Republican front-runner made these remarks during an interview with Newsmax host Eric Bolling.
“I can name three or four people that I wouldn’t support for president. So right there, there’s a problem,” Trump said of the Republican National Committee’s loyalty pledge requirement. The former US president and Republican frontrunner’s remark comes two weeks ahead of the August 23 debate scheduled to be held in Milwaukee.
Earlier this week, DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy turned in their signed pledges to the Republican National Committee (RNC). According to the pledge, if they do not win the 2024 Republican nomination for president, they will “honor the will of the primary voters and support the nominee to save our country and beat Joe Biden.”
Trump argued that he has already made a decision about participating in the Milwaukee debate and will make an announcement next week. Despite being the frontrunner in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, he reiterated that he sees no “upside" to joining. The former president pointed out the disparity in support among candidates and questioned the value of his involvement.
As the first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 campaign approaches in two weeks, eight contenders have reportedly fulfilled the necessary requirements to participate on the stage in Milwaukee. To secure participation in the August 23 debate, candidates must meet stipulated polling and donor criteria outlined by the Republican National Committee (RNC).
These criteria entail achieving at least 1% in three credible national polls or a combination of national and early-state polls conducted between July 1 and August 21. Additionally, candidates must amass a minimum of 40,000 donors, with at least 200 donors from 20 or more states.