Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is expecting former President Donald Trump to sign the loyalty pledge that the Republican National Committee (RNC) requires in order to participate in the Republican primary debates.
“We don’t know how much he would have respected the pledge even after having signed it. So, look, I think this is all kind of nonsensical theater,” Mr. Christie said. “I’ve made that clear to the RNC as well, way back, even before I entered the race, that I thought the pledge was a bad idea, and Donald Trump is now playing that game. But that’s what he does.”
The first Republican primary debate is scheduled for Aug. 23 in Milwaukee. It will be broadcast by Fox News.
The loyalty pledge requires GOP candidates to support the eventual party nominee in 2024. Candidates must present their loyalty pledge no later than 48 hours before the debate.
Mr. Christie added that President Trump could sign the pledge just before the 48-hour deadline.
“I would not be the least bit surprised if sometime around Sunday or Monday of next week that he signs the pledge, and he shows up on the stage on Wednesday,” Mr. Christie said.
“He might not also, but I would not be the least bit surprised if he did,” Mr. Christie added. “This is about Donald Trump keeping the attention on Donald Trump, and he’s doing pretty well because, in the first question this morning, we’re talking about him and that’s what he likes.”
Last week, President Trump said he won’t sign the loyalty pledge, suggesting that he might skip the event altogether.
President Trump did not name the candidates he wouldn’t support, but he noted that candidates such as former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Mr. Christie would ask him “nasty questions” at the debate. The two presidential hopefuls have been highly critical of President Trump.
Meanwhile, the former president singled out Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy for praise, saying they were both “very nice” and “very good people.”
“But when you’re leading by 50 and 60 points against these people, and you have people at zero, and one and two—and then they’re going to be asking me hostile questions, and they probably won’t have much of an audience if I’m not in the debates according to what I read,” President Trump said. “If I’m not in the debates, then they’re not going to have a very big audience. It seems almost like it would be foolish to do them.”
On Aug. 12, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to say that President Trump doesn’t need to take part in the debate.
“Why would President Trump have to debate the other candidates? He already has a PROVEN track record of the best 4 years in America!!” Ms. Greene wrote. “The American people don’t need to hear his ideas, we’ve already lived his policies, loved them, and want more!!
“The primary is over.”
