General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy Trump will not participate in the presidential debates.
1. He thinks that he's doing you a favor by allowing you to be in his presence. (He once refused to pay a caterer with the argument that the caterer was getting exposure in return for having worked for Donald Trump.) Accordingly, he thinks that he's doing the media a favor by going on their channels. And Trump NEVER does favors. He's all about dominating his business-partners.
2. He will be asked about the wall and why Mexico didn't pay for it... and he doesn't want to talk about that.
3. He will be asked about the replacement for the ACA that he promised... and he doesn't want to talk about that.
4. He will be asked about infrastructure-week... and he doesn't want to talk about that.
5. He will be asked why his economic growth is weaker than Obama's despite his tax-cuts and despite the quantitative easing the Fed has been secretly conducting since 2017... and he doesn't want to talk about that.
6. He will be asked why the deficit and the debt exploded under his watch... and he doesn't want to talk about that.
7. He will be asked about his tariff-war and the economic damage it caused in the US... and he doesn't want to talk about that.
8. He will be asked about the coal-jobs that have been lost... and he doesn't want to talk about that.
9. He will be asked about the farmers who are going bankrupt... and he doesn't want to talk about that.
10. He will be asked about the cuts to food stamps and other social programs... and he doesn't want to talk about that.
11. He will be asked about the rise in racially motivated hate-crimes... and he doesn't want to talk about that.
12. He will be asked when we will get this NEW nuclear deal that he wants to negotiate with Iran... and he doesn't want to talk about that.
13. He will be asked about the denuclearization of North Korea that he promised... and he doesn't want to talk about that.
14. He will be asked about the cease-fire with the Taliban that he first sabotaged and then re-promised... and he doesn't want to talk about that.
15. He will be asked about Syria and his declaration that he has defeated ISIS... and he doesn't want to talk about that.
16. He will be asked about Syria and how his generals opposed his decision to withdraw... and he doesn't want to talk about that.
17. He will be asked about his taxes and emoluments and his defunct Trump foundation and Ivanka's patents and Giuliani's business-deals with ukrainian mobsters... and he doesn't want to talk about that.
18. He will be asked about hard, indisputable facts he can't hand-wave away or change topics... and that's not how he rolls.
Trump will exclusively go on campaign-rallies and brag how he could defeat the democratic candidate if he wanted to, except he's way too busy to actually debate him/her.
dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)TwilightZone
(25,342 posts)There's zero reason to believe he won't debate. He loves to hear himself talk.
He'll just do what he did last time - alternately mope around and give his campaign speech. Expecting that he'll actually answer questions might be a bit optimistic.
marble falls
(56,353 posts)TwilightZone
(25,342 posts)And we know how accurate those were. He'll just blather as he usually does and do what he did last time - meander off on to whatever he wants to talk about, usually himself and how great he is.
As for the primaries, they're irrelevant. His base isn't going anywhere, and no one who is a serious threat is going to primary him. That also has nothing to do with general election debates.
politicaljunkie41910
(3,335 posts)to be anyone who is brave enough to take him on. No the GOP is just a bunch of pussies.
mahina
(17,502 posts)Dagstead Bumwood
(3,524 posts)He also knows that he could show up and literally fling his feces at the moderators and our nominee and the MSM would love it.
Kaiserguy
(740 posts)His answer will be 100% a lie!!
marble falls
(56,353 posts)across the stage.
Fragment
(68 posts)So frequently and so obviously now I dont think anyone on Team Trump would even allow him to participate in any debates.
Girard442
(6,058 posts)Gore was going to mop the floor with Bush in debates. Gore was smart and well-informed. Bush was a dumb as a box of rocks. Except somehow, the press decided that Bush won and they convinced everyone that was so.
No way that can happen again? Yeah. Keep sayin' that.
emmaverybo
(8,144 posts)cheat sheet for our nominee.
Fiendish Thingy
(15,361 posts)He definitely doesn't want to answer that question.
keithbvadu2
(36,360 posts)He skipped one debate in the 2016 primaries.
He came back for the next one.
Cosmocat
(14,543 posts)Less than 50/50 ...
SayItLoud
(1,696 posts)clearly, as you have written, point to every one of his un-kept promises. Saturate the swing states with the ads. And if by some chance he shows up to debate (one at max) we all (and the Nominee and moderators) need to know he will lie, make up facts and just bold face BS that either he DID all that you point out, the DEMS blocked his efforts etc etc etc. Just sayin...he's narcissist and you can never count on them shying away from media coverage.
maryellen99
(3,781 posts)slumcamper
(1,602 posts)ask, "Just WHAT do you think you are doing? Back in your place--now--Donald."
mgardener
(1,799 posts)Na
He doesn't want to answer questions about toilets and showers. Light bulbs
Rain, windmills, brain cancer and women having babies after 9 months.
And why he locks children in cages, and what the hell is a Space Force????
And he needs to answer why with Republicans in control of government for 2 years, that a health care bill was not passed.
And where are his tax returns?
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)There is no way he can get away with avoiding a debate. He just can't.
Ahpook
(2,747 posts)He is an utter imbecile and will refuse.
Betting on him simply doing his shit rallies with cult members in Idiotville, USA
FakeNoose
(32,328 posts)... is that the media will never allow him to have a chopper revving up in the background, so he can make a quick getaway when the questions are too tough.
jmowreader
(50,447 posts)If he's asked one of those uncomfortable questions, he'll simply answer a different question.
"Mr. President, in your 2016 campaign you pledged you would build a wall on the Mexican border and Mexico would pay for it. Neither one has happened. Would you like to explain why your campaign promise failed so completely?"
"I'm glad you asked that, Mr. Fake News Personality. As you know, the failed presidency of Barack Obama allowed North Korea to create a nuclear weapons program. My administration secured a historic agreement with President Kim to destroy his reactors, warheads and missiles. Because of my leadership, the world is now safer. The only way it will continue in its increased safety is to reelect Donald Trump."
"Mr. President, how exactly are the North Koreans destroying their missiles - firing them into the ocean on what look like routine test flights? North Korea has actually stepped up its nuclear arms program since you took office."
"And I'm glad you pointed that out, Mr. Never Trumper. The disastrous administration of Crooked Hillary would have allowed China's trade policies to destroy America. My bold leadership has improved trade throughout the world, and if you vote to reelect me trade will only get better."
"Mr. President, what the fuck? You started a trade war. It's cost millions of American jobs and pushed the world to the brink of a global economic meltdown. To paraphrase Lee Ermey's great drill sergeant character, were you born a fat, slimy, scumbag puke piece of shit, President Trump, or did you have to work at it?"
"And I'm glad you asked that. My signature Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has saved the American taxpayer billions of dollars since its passage. Sleepy Joe Biden would have raised your taxes the second he took office, but we're not going to let him. Keep America Great!"
- - - - -
The next morning...
LOUISVILLE, KY. (Spurious News Network) -- Bedlam erupted at last night's presidential debate between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden when a reporter for the Los Angeles Times attempted to beat Trump's head in with a baseball bat.
"It was a Louisville Slugger," said Capt. Joe Mama, head of the Louisville police department detachment assigned to provide security for the debate. "A riot broke out when we found that out. I guess that commie reporter decided using a bat made in our city would win him a special place in our hearts. He should have known better than that. Our bats are only for hitting baseballs, not rocks or useless presidents."