NBC reports:
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told Fox News on Thursday that he plans to participate in the first GOP presidential debate in August, whether or not former President Donald Trump attends.
“I’ll be there, regardless,” DeSantis said. “I hope everybody who is eligible comes. I think it is an important part of the process, and I look forward to being able to be on the stage and introducing our candidacy and our vision and our leadership to a wide audience.”
Trump is still contemplating skipping the first debate, but I doubt that’s a sustainable long-term tactic for him. Trump maintains his dominance by being the center of attention, and many millions of GOP voters will tune into the debates with or without Trump.
Trump also knows that skipping a debate didn’t help him in the past. As the February 1, 2016, Iowa caucuses approached, Trump decided to skip the January 28, 2016, debate because he was ahead in the Iowa polls by about five points. Cruz ended up beating Trump in Iowa by three points.