“If nothing else, a debate provides a forum for candidates to address issues and introduce themselves to potential voters who don’t follow them.”
That is not what those debates do. Have you ever watched one?
They are attacks ads for liberals. They even give the liberals the questions and ask them softball questions. They interrupt Trump making a response. They yell at him and demean him. They make false accusations he is not allowed to respond to.
How the Hell do you think that benefits Trump?
If people want to know what Trump thinks, just listen to him as he will tell you.
That's the difference between Trump and DeSantis.
With Trump, you can only listen to what he says. With DeSantis, you can look at what he's actually accomplished.
Trump says he's going to do a lot of great stuff, most of which he said he was going to do the last time he was president but didn't.