Former President Trump criticizes Reagan Library as RNC’s pick to host 2024 primary debate
There’s one Republican presidential candidate unhappy with the party’s choice to hold its second debate in the 2024 primary at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library: former President Donald Trump.
On his Truth Social account Tuesday, Trump seemed to question whether he’d participate in any debates in the first place while also critiquing the choice of the Simi Valley foundation because its longtime board chair, Frederick Ryan Jr., is the publisher of the Washington Post. In another post, Trump claimed that “President Ronald Reagan would not approve” of Ryan chairing the library’s board.
Of note, Ryan is Reagan’s former chief of staff and served on his re-election team as well as in other capacities.
“I see that everybody is talking about the Republican debates, but nobody got my approval, or the approval of the Trump campaign, before announcing them,” Trump said. “When you’re leading by seemingly insurmountable numbers, and you have hostile networks with angry Trump & MAGA hitting anchors asking the ‘questions,’ why subject yourself to being libeled and abused? Also, the second debate is being held at the Reagan Library, the chairman of which is, amazingly, Fred Ryan, publisher of the Washington Post. No!”
Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel announced the Reagan Library — named after the former Republican president from California who is still revered by many in the party — would host Republicans’ second presidential debate in the primary while she was there last week.
“I firmly believe that our next president will be on that stage,” McDaniel said.
This wouldn’t be the first presidential debate Trump has skipped. In 2016, during his first run for the White House, Trump skipped a debate moderated by then-Fox News host Megyn Kelly amid a feud with the network. And a 2020 debate between Trump and then-Democratic nominee Joe Biden was canceled after Trump refused to agree to a different, virtual format because of COVID-19.
“This is a similar situation,” said Dan Schnur, a former campaign consultant who teaches about political messaging at UC Berkeley and USC. “None of the other candidates can afford to give Trump veto power over the debate scheduled, but they recognize a debate without him is not going to attract nearly as much attention.”
Trump did attend a debate hosted at the Reagan Library in 2015.
It appears his fellow Republican contenders — both declared and potential White House candidates — don’t have the same apprehensions about appearing at the Reagan Library.
Aside from the debate, the library is hosting several Republicans for a speakers series ahead of the 2024 elections, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, both GOP White House contenders, have participated in the library’s speaker series, as have potential candidates Sen. Tim Scott and former Vice President Mike Pence.
“With more Republican delegates than any other state and an early primary, California is poised to play a major role in determining who the Republican Party’s presidential nominee will be,” said California GOP Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson.
“California Republicans have a great opportunity to hear directly from our candidates when they participate in a robust debate at the Reagan Presidential Library right here in our state. We look forward to hosting all of the diverse and accomplished candidates who participate,” Patterson said in response to Trump’s social media post.
McDaniel’s speech at the Reagan Library last week largely focused on a call for unity among Republicans. The party has already said the first primary debate is slated to be hosted in Milwaukee in August.
A spokesperson for the Reagan Foundation, the nonprofit that oversees the library, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.