Every Republican must answer this question in the first debate

Seven Republicans have qualified so far to participate in the first debate of the 2024 presidential election campaign. Each has met the Republican National Committee’s criteria based on their ranking in polls and the number of unique donations they’ve received.

In addition, the RNC says each must sign a pledge to support whomever becomes the GOP’s presidential nominee.

Some aren’t happy about that, for good reason — no one should be bound to support a candidate they feel is unfit for office.

We already know the Republican leading in the polls is unfit for the presidency (or any other public office). However his alleged felonies play out, Donald Trump has disgraced himself and the presidency and egregiously violated his oath of office with his apparent efforts to overthrow a valid national election, even encouraging an armed mob to march to the Capitol to prevent the transfer of power.

Should Trump become the Republican Party’s nominee, we would have good reason to doubt the patriotism of anyone who supports him.

If the RNC’s candidates are to sign a loyalty oath, it should be to support the Constitution and rule of law. Every Republican candidate for president besides Trump should promise not to pardon the former president if he is convicted of felonies related to the 2020 election and the insurrection. They should promise to support impeaching and removing him from office if he wins the election and pardons himself.

We cannot allow Donald Trump to establish the precedent that a president or former president can escape accountability for attempting to subvert the will of the American people in a free and fair election.

In the likely event the RNC does not require candidates to make these promises, then here is the first question the Fox News moderators should ask the participants in the Aug. 23 debate:

“Will you go on record tonight with this pledge: Do you pledge to honor the decisions of the U.S. justice system in regard to Donald Trump?”

William S. Becker, executive director of the Presidential Climate Action Project, is a co-editor of and a contributor to “Democracy Unchained: How to Rebuild Government for the People.”