(NewsNation) — Former President Donald Trump’s absence at the second GOP debate is fueling calls from the Trump camp for a new Republican strategy: An end to all GOP debates.
The Trump campaign said in a statement that the second “GOP debate was as boring and inconsequential as the first debate” and added, “The RNC should immediately put an end to any further primary debates so we can train our fire on crooked Joe Biden and quit wasting time and money.”
Trump’s team has also confirmed to NewsNation he will not be attending the third GOP debate in Miami on Nov. 8.
Johanna Maska, a former Obama official and NewsNation contributor, and Hogan Gidley, former Trump White House deputy press secretary, joined “The Hill on NewsNation” to weigh in on Trump’s debate decision.
“I don’t think it’s going to really amount to much,” Gidley said. “I think the RNC and others in league with them are gonna continue forward with these debates, but at the same time, it is largely been inconsequential at this point.”
In national and state polls, Trump is far ahead of his nearest competitor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
He leads DeSantis by 42 points in the RealClearPolitics polling average nationally and by 33 points in Iowa. In New Hampshire, Trump holds a 31-point lead over Haley in the polling average.
That added to the sense of desperation for some of the would-be contenders, who know the time for catching up to Trump is running out.
Maska countered by saying the “trouble for the Republican Party is continuing to sow doubt in this primary process.”
“You still have about half of your electorate who does not want Donald Trump to be the nominee,” Maska added. “I think the debates very much matter. They matter because there is a Republican electorate looking for an alternative.”
Maska said alternatives are emerging, including Nikki Haley.
“But what’s happening is it’s going to take time, and the more the Republicans just say, ‘No, your vote doesn’t matter. No, you don’t count’ to the Republican Party, you’re dissuading those people from showing up,” she said. “And you’re actually giving them more energy to go towards Joe Biden.”
The Hill contributed to this report.