Free Republic

Candidates for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination may not get their opportunity to go toe-to-toe with the front-runner, fueling concerns about diminishing the importance of televised primary debates. Former President Donald Trump has publicly soured on attending the debates, drawing taunts from his rivals and cheers from his backers. His absence risks backfiring against him but is likely to draw fewer eyeballs to the key event and could be a drag on the party. "It's definitely more damaging for the RNC in their legitimacy," veteran Republican strategist John Thomas told the Washington Examiner. "One of their main jobs is to...