There's a good chance Trump won't participate in the General Elections debates. I'm not surprised...

[Skya Rhen]

Trump slams Fox News over recent polling

<Snip>

"I don't know what's happening with Fox," he told reporters as he prepared to leave New Jersey, saying he doesn't "believe" the polls. "Fox is different. There’s no question about it," he said, adding that he's "the one calling the shots" on the general election debates.

Trump also would not directly answer questions about whether he'll debate in 2020. A Fox News representative was not immediately available for comment.

A Fox News poll released Thursday showed Trump losing head-to-head match-ups against four top Democratic presidential primary candidates.

The poll found Trump trailing Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) as well as former Vice President Joe Biden. Another poll showed his disapproval rating rising to a near record.


https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/457893-trump-slams-fox-news-polling

[elleng]

1. It's a bit early to predict, but

[Kurt V.]

2. will his ego allow that? Probably not. he has a very good brain.

[Me.]

4. Come NOw...A very Good Brain?

He's a genius!

[3Hotdogs]

9. -- and stable, too.

[rzemanfl]

12. No, IN A STABLE,

he might be a genius.

[tblue37]

18. Well, he's the back end of what goes into the stable. nt

[leftieNanner]

19. Nope

The rescue horses in our barn (54 of them) are WAY smarter. 🐎

[rzemanfl]

23. That's a lot of horses**t. I'm surprised

Drumpf hasn't commandeered the supply, for when he runs out of bull.

[leftieNanner]

35. Oh, we make a lot of $ in that stuff

The pot growers buy it up here in Oregon!

[rzemanfl]

44. Oregon-organic. Logical. n/t

[DeminPennswoods]

3. Trump will participate, assuming he's

nominated which isn't a 100% sure thing. The allure of being the center of attention for a couple hours on national TV will be far too great for him to resist.

[Buckeyeblue]

5. He won't because he can't

He knows it would not go well. And maybe this time around we don't need it.

[RDANGELO]

6. I wouldn't be surprised.

He might agree to one debate hosted by Fox News.

[bluestarone]

15. Yea one fox news debate AND

ONE person there. HIM!

[nolabear]

7. I'd hope they'd endlessly taunt him.

Mock debates. Endless responses to every promise, policy (😂 statement, rally.

Goad, goad, goad.

[fleabiscuit]

8. Perhaps Clint Eastwood's empty chair will be available to debate for the republithugs.

[underpants]

14. ✅ best response

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

10. I predicted this several months ago.

He has nothing to gain and everything to lose by being seen on the debate stage as the inarticulate buffoon he is, when he is standing next to a well-informed and articulate man or woman.

He's already starting with the "rigged election" meme, and has been expressing admiration for authoritarians who serve for life. "You owe me two extra years for the time I was being investigated," he has argued. He says the 22nd Amendment (the Republicans' anti-FDR amendment) should be repealed.

He does not intend to leave the WH while he is alive.

[Stuart G]

16. If Trump loses the election, (yes he will, if he runs) then the new president, whoever that is...

will give him a reasonable amount of time, if he refuses to leave..and then call in the army and remove him physically. The army, ordered by the new president will bodily pick him up, and his stuff, and remove him. That is if he refuses after a loss.

....He is not going to refuse, and I will say right here,... he is not going to run for re-election. I have believed that for a while. His family knows that he is not "well physically" and they will convince him not to run. How? Families have that ability, even with totally stubborn people. And Trump is not well physically. No matter what he says, or anybody says, this is an incredibly difficult job. The pressure is tremendous, and Trump is not doing well with that pressure.

[leftieNanner]

20. They will need to hog tie him to not run

He fears indictment when he leaves the white house. He will run. He will lose. And the US Marshalls will walk him out on January 20th. Lawrence addressed this a while ago.

[Stuart G]

22. I disagree. Trump is a fraud, liar, totally dishonest in every way. He has hidden his dislike

of the criticism that he deserves..(hidden to some degree) but he does not like it. He will retire, and that is what I believe. The pressure which he hides, is beyond his ability to take. Oh, he seems to be ok, but he is not. His tweets are beyond sane. This crap about "Greenland" is proof. And there is more, but we will see. And I honestly believe he will not run and that will be the one thing he does that will be approved by all. Further, he will do this in a timely way, with plenty of notice. Maybe Christmas time or January or February.
............and I don't know nothing at all........It is a hunch.....we all have them....and I am wrong about 60 per cent of the time...and I am honest enough to admit it. And I might be wrong on this too.. If I am? So What?

..................................... ..........

[leftieNanner]

34. I sure hope you are right

Maybe he will make a deal for Mike Pants to pardon him and for Barr to make the indictments disappear. I agree that he can't handle the pressure and is cracking. He hates the job. Always hated ANY job.

[A HERETIC I AM]

45. The Army won't be called

And the “reasonable amount of time” will amount to one second after the words “so help me god” leave the lips of the President elect on January 20th. At that point Trumpy won’t be president anymore and there is fuck all he can do about it.

At that moment if he is not packed up and out of the building, the Secret Service will do the picking up and moving him.

They won’t fuck around, and the Army won’t be called.

Trump will be on his way to one of the corners of Lafayette Square with his toes barely touching the ground.

[dawg day]

47. The secret service protects the president,

And he won't be that anymore. They'll have to pick him up and deliver him to the other crew that protects the FORMER president.

What's scary is the prospect that he will try to cancel the election. He might create some emergency, or do a bogus lawsuit in several states.

[3Hotdogs]

11. It will be interesting. One thing, when he's on a stage with 16 other losers. He can throw insults,

get a laugh and not get challenged because its considered funny and different.

Another thing, when he is supposed to come up with something of substance and do that two or three times.

[struggle4progress]

13. Chicken distress noises

[jmowreader]

17. Okay, fine...town hall with the Democratic candidate, then

Our candidate shouldn't worry much about anything but Russian interference. Trump is about ten minutes and two ball bearings from being a full-blown Captain Queeg, and his handlers know it.

[leftieNanner]

21. Oh! That court room scene!

When Queeg falls apart!

I would love to see that happen to the Orange One!

Edit to add: On national TV.

[Stuart G]

24. This refers to a movie, "The Caine Mutiny" Humphrey Bogart played Captain Queeg who goes nuts. 1954

Bogart is great as the Captain. Just as he was great in many other films. Yes, some here have not seen some of the great films. Casablanca - 1942.. is another great film with Bogart.

Here is a link to information on his life and movies:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000007/

Here is a link to some pictures taken from "The Maltese Falcon" 1941

if you haven't seen this..You must....Pictures from the movie:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033870/mediaindex?ref_=tt_mv_close

and that movie, Maltese Falcon, is one hour and forty minutes.. Not a bad way to spend some time...

[leftieNanner]

36. Oh I know

The Caine Mutiny is one of my favorites!

[SeattleVet]

27. I would *love* to see someone ask him about strawberries during a debate! nt

[Hermit-The-Prog]

37. with geometric logic and a duplicate key

That's where I had them!

[marble falls]

25. Maybe he could be represented by an empty chair.

[Paladin]

49. My thoughts exactly. And for added effect:

During the course of the "debate," let the Democratic candidate walk over to the empty chair and loom ominously behind it, just like that motherfucker trump did to Hillary.

[marble falls]

50. The danger is that an empty chair is more eloquent and better educated than ...

Donnie Two Scoops.

[Eliot Rosewater]

26. I said this a while ago, the only way he debates is if it is a woman

and a woman he thinks he can taunt with racism and misogyny.

He is scared SHITLESS of men, all men

[keithbvadu2]

28. He boycotted one debate in the primaries but his ego could not stand the lack of attention.

He boycotted one debate in the primaries but his ego could not stand the lack of attention.

He had to get back in the game.

[evertonfc]

29. Good

It would be 90 minutes of free airtime for his opponent.

[Thekaspervote]

32. agree! Besides the fux news horn would declare him the winner, so we'll be spared that as well

[greytdemocrat]

30. There is no chance

Trump would miss the debates.
None.

[DeminPennswoods]

46. +1

[ooky]

31. Threaten him that if he doesn't show up that we will use the national prime time

making fun of his most embarrassing moments and lies with an emphasis on his most cowardly acts.

[bluecollar2]

33. He won't participate

He'll hide out as most losers do.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

38. are you implying Cadet Bone Spurs is a coward?

Carry on.

[JustAnotherGen]

39. Been saying this for awhile

45/280 is too arrogant.

Debate performance is a non-starter for me for the Primary. Content following up on previously stated positions is.

[Vinca]

40. That would be great. Give the time to Dems and an Indie if they happen to emerge.

If the Dem is alone it would be a couple of hours of campaign advertising for free.

[Buns_of_Fire]

41. Big debates require big distractions.

So, what would be his excuse?

"I regret to inform the American people that I will be unable to participate in tonight's debate having just started World War III."?

"My bone spurs are acting up again."?

"Obama's dog ate my debate notes."?

"Please excuse Donnie from tonight's debate. /s/ Donnie's Mother."?

[former9thward]

42. We were told he would not participate in the 2016 debates.

Of course the same people told us he would drop out in 2015, lose the R primary in 2016, that the RNC would dump him from the ticket in 2016, that he would lose the general election in 2016, that the electoral college would not vote for him in 2016, and that he would be impeached in 2017, 2018 and 2019. So we will see....

[Takket]

43. don't see why he would.......

he can just say they are rigged and his base will be on board and not care if he doesn't do it. his plan to win is the same as 2016. base + voter suppression with Russian help. He doesn't need to debate to make either of those things work.

[LibDemAlways]

48. I'm on the "he won't be a candidate" train.

Remember Melanoma's bogus kidney procedure? Kept her out of the picture for weeks while the plastic surgery scars healed. Trump will come up with a phony medical reason why he can't run - something big like cancer. At some point, of course, he'll announce that he's licked it, but in the meantime it gives him all the cover he needs to avoid humiliation next November. If it becomes apparent that the state of NY will charge him with criminal conduct, he'll resign at the last minute while wildly proclaiming his innocence and having useful stooge Pence issue some sort of blanket pardon. We can all sit back and enjoy some popcorn while this plays out.

[dlk]

51. As Quickly as Trump is Deteriorating, He May Very Well be Drooling by Then