RNC insiders wonder if 'embarrassing' Trumpless debates are even worth the effort

Donald Trump's refusal to participate in the two 2024 GOP presidential debates the Republican National Committee (RNC) has held so far hasn't hurt his frontrunner status. Polls released in early October have found Trump ahead of the second-place Republican primary candidate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, by 45 percent (The Economist/YouGov) or 48 percent (Morning Consult).

According to Politico's Natalie Allison, some RNC members are now questioning whether the debates are even worth the effort.

Virginia-based RNC committeewoman slammed the RNC's 2024 presidential debates as "embarrassing" and told Politico, "You can't put your head in the sand and pretend these debates are going to result in someone other than Donald Trump getting the nomination."

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Roger Villere, a GOP committeeman in Louisiana, told Politico he doesn't "really see what we're gaining from having a debate without having the main participant."

The next GOP presidential primary debate is scheduled for November 8 in Miami. But according to Arizona-based Republican committeeman Tyler Bowyer, Allison reports in an article published on October 5, the RNC hasn't made plans for any debates after that.

Bowyer told Politico, "I think the only way you salvage it is if you get the frontrunner there. Plan a debate where you get the frontrunner to agree to it."

But Oscar Brock, a GOP committeeman from Tennessee, believes the debates need to continue.

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Brock told Politico, "If the former president doesn't want to come, that's on him. But we have every right to continue these and promote other options. He may have 40 percent of the vote, but he doesn't have 100 percent."

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Politico's full report is available at this link.