Trump May Skip Presidential Debates. He Would Be Wise To Do So

KEY POINTS

Insiders say Trump is considering not participating in any presidential debates in 2020
In 2016, Trump accused the Commission on Presidential Debates of deliberately undermining him
After all three debates in 2016, Trump experienced drops in polling
It is possible Trump will compromise and agree to a single debate

President Donald Trump may give the presidential debates a miss, in a likely attempt to avoid repeating his poor performace against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016, which he characteristically blamed on a faulty mic and a perceived bias of moderators.

Insider sources told the New York Times that Trump was likely to opt out of debating the Democratic challenger in the lead up to the 2020 election. He has yet to make up his mind, they added.

Trump has reasons to shun the long-standing political tradition. He doesn't have fond memories of his debates against Clinton, who saw surges in the polls after each debate in 2016. Trump consistently accused the nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that hosts the debates of deliberately putting him at a disadvantage.

In one debate, Trump attributed his poor performance to a malfunctioning microphone. The Commission on Presidential Debates later admitted that a technical error had occurred, but Trump suggested that it was done deliberately in an effort to undermine his campaign.

Trump also clashed with those chosen to moderate the presidential debates, asserting that several demonstrated a personal bias against him. Most notably, Trump butted heads with then Fox News host Megyn Kelly during the first debate when she said Trump had “called women (he doesn't) like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals.” Trump later tweeted that Kelly had “really bombed” and said in a CNN interview that “there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.”

Some strategists think that it would be a politically savvy move by Trump to refuse to participate in the presidential debates, but he might have to agree for a single debate at least.

If Trump does go this route, he may be seen as being wary of standing toe-to-toe with the Democratic nominee. Trump critics may also seize on the decision as further evidence that the president is not interested in adhering to the traditions of the political process.