Republicans in Iowa overwhelmingly believe the party’s 2024 nominees should commit to supporting the eventual nominee, putting them on a collision course with frontrunner Donald Trump.
In an interview Wednesday night, the former president said he would refuse to sign any pledge of support for the eventual Republican nominee.
The pledge is one of the prerequisites for the 2024 candidates to take part in the first presidential debate later this month.
And a poll found that 65 percent of those likely to attend the Iowa caucus believed candidates should commit to supporting the eventual winner of the nomination process.
Only 15 percent sided with Trump in the poll of 600 Republicans in the state.
Candidates must sign a pledge of support for the eventual Republican nominee for 2024 if they wish to participate in the party’s presidential debates
Even 77 percent of his own followers think he should sign up.
James Johnson of JL Partners, who conducted the poll, said it shows Republicans are looking beyond the nomination race.
“There is a general expectation among Republican voters that the final candidate should be supported by the rest of the race,” he said.
“That’s probably because of a genuine desire to beat Joe Biden and defeat the Democrats.”
“Rather, that softens the notion that the Republican Party has just become Trump’s party and suggests that beating a Democrat is still important.”
Trump has not yet said if he plans to join the Aug. 23 debate in Milwaukee.
As the clear leader, he has more to lose than other candidates who know that a strong performance could help them jump up the rankings.
In an interview with Newsmax, the former president said he would announce his plan for next week’s debate night.
But he made it clear that he would disagree with the Republican National Committee’s request that all debaters register to support the eventual nominee.
“So they want you to sign a pledge, but I can name three or four people that I wouldn’t support for president,” he said. “Right there is a problem.”
Donald Trump appeared on Newsmax on Wednesday night. He said he could not sign a pledge to endorse the eventual Republican nominee for the 2024 election
So far, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is the only candidate to have signed the pledge
The focus of the Republican nomination race shifts to Iowa this week with the state fair. Ron DeSantis supporters attended the opening parade on Wednesday
Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy was the first candidate To on Tuesday. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis followed a day later.
Other candidates expressed concerns about the idea. Former Rep. Will Hurd said he couldn’t sign it over concerns about Trump, while former New Jerseyer Chris Christie questioned its worth.
Eight candidates now say they met the poll and fundraising criteria to participate in the debate.
Trump has repeatedly said he fears his rivals but knows they would have limited benefits if they did emerge.
“It’s not a question of courage.” “It’s a question of intelligence,” he said.
The focus of the race shifts to Iowa this week as candidates flock to the state fair.
Iowa Republicans are the first to pick their candidate of choice in their February election
JL Partners interviewed 600 likely Republican caucus attendees in Iowa April 1-7. The results show an error rate of +/- four percent
Despite the demise of DeSantis, the Florida governor remains the best candidate in a head-to-head to allow Trump to run for the Republican nomination
The state is first to choose its preferred candidate, giving it a preeminent vote in the race. A good performance here can make an election campaign, while a poor result can end a candidate’s candidacy overnight.
Trump will be there over the weekend and his main rival Ron DeSantis left for a bus tour of the state on Thursday.
poll shows Trump remains firmly in control of the race. With 43 percent support in the state, he clearly leads the way (up from 41 percent in April, when the poll was last conducted).
But Ron DeSantis lost nine points, giving him a 17 percent lead. The results spell even more trouble for Florida’s governor, who restarted his campaign this week.
Meanwhile, Senator Tim Scott is up to 11 percent.