Trump’s decision to bow out of the first Republican primary debate is a smart move for his legal challenges, experts told Newsweek.
Former President Donald Trump will not participate in the first Republican primary debate this week, likely to the relief of his legal team.
Trump’s 2024 candidacy as the GOP frontrunner is on a collision course with four criminal trials and he’s under a protective order that limits his ability to speak about evidence and witnesses related to the federal election interference case. If Trump went to the debate, it’s possible his comments could have been used against him in court or even break the law.
“So if Trump were to debate and say something that were deemed a witness threat, that would be unlawful,” Rahmani said. “It would also be potential grounds to revoke his release and remand him to custody, though it’s highly unlikely any judge would actually do that.”
The big question hovering over the 2024 Republican primaries has been whether or not Trump will appear at Wednesday’s event in Milwaukee to debate his challengers, especially given his various legal setbacks.
Trump put an end to the speculations around his attendance on Sunday, writing on Truth Social that since “the public knows” who he is and has already seen his capabilities in the White House, he will “NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!”
The decision not to appear on the debate stage is the right one, legal experts say.
