RNC no longer hosting presidential debates after Trump refuses to attend a single one

The Republican National Committee (RNC) announced on Friday that it would no longer be hosting any further Republican presidential debates in the 2024 campaign cycle.

"It is now time for Republican primary voters to decide who will be our next President," the RNC said in a statement reported by Axios. The committee added that candidates are still free "to use any forum or format to communicate to voters as they see fit."

The announcement comes on the heels of the fourth GOP debate, in which former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy debated each other in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. That debate, which was hosted by NewsNation and broadcasted on The CW, had disappointing ratings. The New York Post reported that just four million people watched the debate, which is 47% lower than the viewership for the third debate.

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While the non-Trump Republican candidates will be taking part in debates hosted by both ABC News and CNN in January, the RNC has said those debates are being held independently and that it has no role in organizing or hosting them. St. Anselm College's Institute of Politics in Manchester, New Hampshire will host the ABC debate on January 18, and the CNN debate on January 21. The CNN debate will take place two days before Granite Staters vote in their respective primary.

Notably, all four debates have taken place without the participation of the clear frontrunner, former President Donald Trump. RealClearPolitics' polling data shows the 45th president of the United States still holds a sizable lead over the rest of the field, polling roughly 50 points ahead of his closest opponent.

Trump's lead is slightly less in early states, though still likely insurmountable. In Iowa, RealClearPolitics shows he leads DeSantis — his closest opponent — by approximately 30 points. In New Hampshire, he leads his #2 opponent, Nikki Haley, by almost 40 points.

On Friday, the Des Moines Register reported that with time running out before the Iowa Caucuses and his polling position not improving, Ramaswamy is increasingly showing warmth toward the Libertarian Party. While he told the publication he wouldn't run on the Libertarian Party's 2024 ticket, he added that he couldn't stop the party from nominating him, adding that he has "libertarian instincts."

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