Donald Trump Refused to Sign Loyalty Pledge – Former President Donald Trump remains the Republican frontrunner for the party’s nomination in next year’s presidential election according to a national poll conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Despite his numerous legal woes, including indictments at the state and federal level, Trump holds a wide lead over his closest rival Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Yet, despite his lead, the former president on Wednesday made clear he will not sign a pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee. That is a Republican National Committee (RNC) requirement for participation in this month’s first primary debate.
“I have a problem with the debate for another reason: I wouldn’t sign the pledge,” Donald Trump said from his summer home in Bedminster, New Jersey in an exclusive interview with Eric Bolling of Newsmax. “Why would I sign a pledge? There are people on there that I wouldn’t have.”
Trump added, “I wouldn’t have certain people as, you know, somebody that I endorse. So they want you to sign a pledge.”
Donald Trump refused to name which candidates he would never endorse for president, yet, he was very critical of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“I can name three or four people that I wouldn’t support for president,” Donald Trump also told Bolling. “So right there, there’s a problem right there. There’s a problem.”
Will Trump Debate?
While the RNC has made the pledge a requirement, there is always the chance an exception will be made for the former president – but even then he may not attend. Trump has said he will announce next week whether he’ll participate in the August 23 debate in Milwaukee. Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that he sees no reason to debate given his substantial polling lead.
He may hold a competing event instead, the Associated Press reported.
Debate Requirements
To date, eight candidates – including Trump – have met the qualifications to be on stage in Milwaukee, with former Vice President Mike Pence announcing this week he had secured enough donors. Candidates were required to satisfy polling and donor requirements set by the RNC, which included at least 1 percent 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.
The candidates were further required to sign a statement pledging not to participate in any debates not sanctioned by the party, including the general election debates sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates, and as noted to support the winner of the Republican primary. Moreover, candidates pledge not to run as an independent, write-in candidate or third-party nominee.
“I affirm that if I do not win the 2024 Republican nomination of President of the United States, I will honor the will of the primary voters and support the nominee in order to save our country and beat Joe Biden,” the pledge stated, according to a copy posted by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
The candidates who have qualified for the debate include Christie, DeSantis and Pence, as well as South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.
Pledge Pushback
RNC chair Ronna McDaniel made signing the pledge the final requirement for Republican presidential candidates to participate in the debate.
“It’s the Republican Party nomination, and the pledge is staying and anybody who wants to seek the nomination of our party should pledge to support the voters,” McDaniel said on Fox News last month.
However, the pledge has been criticized by some candidates including Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former Texas Rep. Will Hurd – neither of who has met the requirements. Hurd said definitively that he will not sign the 2024 pledge, and vowed that he will not support Trump, who has been indicted three times, if he becomes the eventual nominee.
Christie and Hutchinson have each cast doubt on the pledge’s value and enforceability. The former New Jersey governor described it as a “useless idea.”
Author Experience and Expertise
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
From 19FortyFive
