Trump to hold private fundraiser during next GOP primary debate

Former President Trump is scheduled to attend a private fundraiser in Florida next week during the fourth Republican presidential primary debate, a source familiar with the plans confirmed to The Hill.

Trump has yet to attend any of the primary debates, citing his dominant lead in the polls. The former president and his campaign aides said he also would not attend the Dec. 6 debate in Alabama.

But the fundraiser in Hallandale Beach, Fla., which was dubbed in a campaign email as a “year-end reception,” will mark the first time Trump has not attempted to counterprogram the debate to draw eyeballs away from his rivals.

Trump skipped the first debate in August and instead sat down for a prerecorded interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that was released right as the debate began.

The former president traveled to Michigan in lieu of attending the second debate in September, speaking to workers amid a United Auto Workers strike.

And Trump held a rally in Florida last month just miles down the road from the third primary debate, which took place in Miami.

Trump and his team have urged the Republican National Committee to cancel future debates, arguing the party should coalesce behind him as the presumptive nominee given his lead in the polls. The former president is ahead of his rivals by an average of almost 60 percentage points in national polls, and by at least 20 points in most state level polls.

Next week’s debate will take place in Tuscaloosa, Ala. It will be hosted by NewsNation.

NewsNation and The Hill are both owned by Nexstar Media Group.