Trump says he’ll record Democratic debate and watch it as a ‘rerun’

President Trump said he’s disappointed he’ll miss watching the Democratic presidential debate Thursday night while he attends a GOP House retreat but that he plans to record it and watch it as a “rerun.”

“It’s too bad I’m going to miss it. I’m going to have to have it somehow taped,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House for the Republican retreat in Baltimore.

“I’m going to have to watch it as a rerun,” he added.

Ten Democratic presidential contenders are set to take the debate stage in Houston at 8 p.m. EDT. The debate, which is expected to last three hours, marks the first time that all top contenders for taking on Trump in 2020 will appear on the debate stage together.{mosads}

The president occasionally sends tweets during the Democratic debates attacking his potential rivals and defending criticisms from those on stage.

But Trump will be in Baltimore speaking to the House Republican conference for at least part of Thursday’s debate. He is scheduled to return to the White House later Thursday night.

The president predicted as he departed the White House that either former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) or Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) — the three front-runners in most polls — will win the nomination.

“I don’t expect too much difference,” he said of his expectations for the debate. “You have three people that are leading, I sort of think that those three people are going to take it to the end. It’s going to be one of those three, I think. But you never know in politics.”

Trump added that he respects “all” of the candidates appearing on Thursday night’s debate stage.

“I respect all of them,” he said. “Let me tell you, it takes a lot of courage to run for office. I respect all of them.”

“See that? I’m getting to be much better as a politician, you never thought you’d hear that answer,” he added with a smile.