Two Trump Family Members to Attend First GOP Debate Despite 45’s Absence

The Trump family will have a presence at Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate — even though the former president won’t be there. Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle will attend the event in Donald Trump’s stead, according to the Daily Caller. The pair predicted that Republican voters would reject alternatives to the 45th president. “We’re excited to see all of our friends in Milwaukee on Wednesday in support of President Trump,” Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle told the outlet. “We’re confident that in 2024, GOP voters will reject the RINO establishment and re-nominate President Trump in a landslide.” Donald Trump announced he would not be attending the debate — or any others in the primary — in a Truth Social post on Sunday. The former president cited his overwhelming lead in primary polling as cause not to participate. Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle will conduct media appearances for the frontrunner at the Milwaukee event, according to the Caller. It’s unclear how many candidates will actually qualify for the GOP’s debate criteria and be allowed on stage. One candidate formerly close to Trump suggested that his once-running mate wasn’t guaranteed to skip the debate, in spite of his announcement. Former Vice President Mike Pence cited his own experiences working with Trump. “You know, I served alongside the president for a long time, and one thing I realized about him is it’s not over till it’s over,” Pence said on ABC’s “This Week.” Trump spokesman Jason Miller also didn’t firmly rule out the possibility of the front-runner changing his mind. “He said he’s not doing the debates, and so until he says something differently, I would assume he’s not going to be participating.”

“Right now I’d take President Trump’s posting on Truth Social at face value,” Jason Miller wrote on Truth Social. “He said he’s not doing the debates, and so until he says something differently, I would assume he’s not going to be participating.” https://t.co/zylSmFuYJY

— The Hill (@thehill) August 21, 2023

Other candidates expected to appear include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy. Trump is slated to appear in an online interview with conservative media personality Tucker Carlson during the debate. Trump already recorded the program, according to NBC News. This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.