# Will Trump refuse to debate the Democratic nominee? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 26, 2020, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529 "2020-02-26T02:31:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529/21 "2020-02-26T16:24:04Z")
If Trump is asked, he will promise to debate his opponent, because he would look weak to refuse. He has no grand strategy; all he thinks about is how he can bluff and bluster his way through the current moment. Whether he actually shows up to a debate is 50-50. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529/22 "2020-02-26T16:30:52Z")
I would not at all be surprised if the President decided not to take part in debates. His decision will be driven entirely by whether or not he thinks, at that moment in the political calendar, that it’s in his best interests to do so. If it isn’t, he won’t, political custom be damned. He could even spin it as a gesture of contempt for the Dem nominee, yet again delighting the MAGAheads. ---
**Author:** ![str8cashhomie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@str8cashhomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/str8cashhomie)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529/23 "2020-02-26T16:46:15Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > It’s entirely possible. It’s also possible he’ll drop dead before the debates and I’d put the odds of both at about even. Trump loves cameras and is not one to shy away from confrontation. He calls on Jim Acosta for Pete’s sake. I think you believe he’s “afraid” of getting into verbal knife fights more than he actually is. > > I believe he was “afraid” Biden was the most electable candidate. I don’t believe he is “afraid” to debate him however. I don’t think he’s afraid of debating Bernie either. I mean he might just realize that he doesn’t have the energy anymore to stay engaged for a 1 hour debate - fear doesn’t need to enter the equation. He also definitely realizes that he can just skip the debates and give no reason at all, and it won’t hurt him with Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529/24 "2020-02-26T17:29:20Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > I posted this theory in another thread as only a semi-joke. I’m not convinced that he will skip the debates, but the chance of it is at least an order of magnitude higher than any other candidate in the recent history. See what happens when you semi-joke? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529/25 "2020-02-26T17:32:30Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > IMO there is no chance whatever that Trump will pass up debating his opponent at least twice, especially if that opponent is Crazy Bernie (Trump’s word choice). I’m equally certain that Trump and/or his minions will make every attempt to manipulate the debate format to their percieved advantage; if the organizers don’t play ball, Trump can always fall back on the old unfair/disgraceful/fake news/enemy of the people whining bullshit. > > So, 2-3 debates, probably, no more. If trump falls back, and swamps the process, then that was not a debate. It’s a refusal in my book. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529/26 "2020-02-26T17:36:52Z")
> [@Unreconstructed\_Man](#): > > I hope he doesn’t do them. Debates are just pointless, bullshit political theatre. Pretty much everyone will have decided how they’ll vote within five minutes of the Democratic Primary winner being announced anyway. Debates serve no real purpose. So you’re scared every time orange opens his mouth? Take a number, get in line, and don’t vote for him. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529/27 "2020-02-26T17:39:10Z")
A debate is when he is 1)questioned directly, and 2)rebutted in public, 3)live in real time, 4)in front of a real audience. Other arrangements will be a refusal to debate. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529/28 "2020-02-26T18:50:18Z")
> [@Unreconstructed\_Man](#): > > I hope he doesn’t do them. Debates are just pointless, bullshit political theatre. Pretty much everyone will have decided how they’ll vote within five minutes of the Democratic Primary winner being announced anyway. Debates serve no real purpose. They will serve to give your fascist gameshow host of a president the opportunity to display his lack of fitness for the role. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529/29 "2020-02-26T19:19:09Z")
He’ll swear up and down that he’ll gladly debate every opponent- but something will come up. It’ll be on an unfair night, or the debate conditions will be unfair to him in some way, or the hosts will be neverTrumpers and therefore he will, sadly, have to cancel. Then he’ll either do an interview on Fox on the same night, or he’ll throw a rally- he’ll retreat to his safe space instead of dealing with a situation he can’t completely control. There’s no way in hell he’ll enter into a situation where he doesn’t have every possible advantage. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529/30 "2020-02-26T19:23:49Z")
He will not be able to resist putting his ugly mug with his prehensile rectum mouth in front of the camera. Whether he does or not is without impact on the race. We’re all in our tribes and if we watch it’s to cheer our guy and razz the other guy. Presidential debates have long since jumped the shark. Now they’re just opportunities to get the insults and bumper sticker sound bites in. ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529/31 "2020-02-26T19:25:51Z")
LOL! No, he will not. There is absolutely no history to support that thought. What, you think Trump shies away from confrontation? That’s just ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529/32 "2020-02-26T20:51:48Z")
> [@tullsterx](#): > > LOL! > > No, he will not. There is absolutely no history to support that thought. What, you think Trump shies away from confrontation? That’s just ridiculous. Are you kidding? He shies away from confrontation _all the time_. He only does press conferences when he’s in front of a running helicopter, so he can pretend to not hear questions- and if he doesn’t want to answer a question, he can always suddenly fly off. He \*never \*fires anyone face-to-face: it’s always over twitter, or through an underling. If someone has the audacity to quit before he can fire them, he tries to fire them online before they have a chance to make their decision publicly. He only does interviews on safe ground- Fox News or, more specifically, Fox and Friends. If Fox starts pretending to give Democrats equal time, he boycotts them. He’s ridiculously cowardly. ---
**Author:** ![SingleMalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/singlemalt/32/3961_2.png) [@SingleMalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SingleMalt)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529/33 "2020-02-26T21:13:23Z")
He’ll do the first one, but if he thinks he embarrassed himself, he will accuse the moderators of bias and refuse to do another. Instead, he’ll have some rally for the veterans or something and then refuse to part with the donations. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529/34 "2020-02-26T21:53:57Z")
> [@tullsterx](#): > > LOL! > > No, he will not. There is absolutely no history to support that thought. What, you think Trump shies away from confrontation? That’s just ridiculous. Like the “firings” on reality tv? trump is not in jail, so that means he has some self preservation instincts, and has shied away from almost any real confrontation in his life that he couldn’t fix or rig. To describe him as a “fighter” is very inaccurate. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529/35 "2020-02-26T22:11:34Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > I think a more interesting question might be what novel debate strategies the Democratic nominee might adopt to combat Trump’s specific brand of “No puppet, no puppet, you’re the puppet” debate style. If they schedule two or more debates, here’s how I think the Dem nominee should play it: First debate: Get the better of Trump, but only just enough that Trump thinks he can reverse that in the next debate. Second debate: Just spend your time listing and going into detail on as many of Trump’s crimes and abuses of power as you can. Regard each question merely as a starting point to segue into details of those crimes and abuses. Tear that motherfucker to shreds on national TV. Leave no doubt in the mind of anyone remotely persuadable that while Trump may not be as bad as Hitler, but he leaves Mussolini in the dust. ETA: If there’s a third debate scheduled, it obviously won’t happen, but no need for it really. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529/36 "2020-02-26T22:13:23Z")
It would be best if the major networks refused to carry a debate at all, as it would just be another block of free campaign advertising for one of the most vicious anti-press personalities in history. And as was mentioned, within 5 minutes of the Democrat getting named the election will be as good as over. Nobody would watch anyway except out of morbid curiosity so it’s not like there’s a giant ratings vein to be mined. Instead, or as competition to FOX’s broadcast of the Debacle (because you know they’ll put lipstick on that pig and hawk it as Mother Mary), the other TV people could drag out old PBS educational programs, or cartoons. Folks would tune in to FOX briefly, but it’d be hard to stay when you know more enriching programming is available, like _Little Rascals_ or _Rocky & Bullwinkle_ are options. ---
**Author:** ![Unreconstructed\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/76d3ee/32.png) [@Unreconstructed\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unreconstructed_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529/37 "2020-02-26T22:38:27Z")
> [@The\_Tooth](#): > > They will serve to give your fascist gameshow host of a president the opportunity to display his lack of fitness for the role. [lol. Got the guts to apologize?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21997549&postcount=5) ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529/38 "2020-02-26T23:04:35Z")
He’ll definitely debate. You’ll see. I can’t believe how delusional you guys are. I guess I should be used to it. But my friends get a real laugh out of it when I tell them about threads like this. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529/39 "2020-02-26T23:04:46Z")
> [@Unreconstructed\_Man](#): > > [lol. Got the guts to apologize?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21997549&postcount=5) That you are an anti trump voter, and are against having him debate is just incomprehensible. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529/40 "2020-02-27T01:58:45Z")
It’s far more likely than not he’ll debate the Democratic nominee. The only thing that’s keeps me from being completely sure about this claim, however, is Trump’s emulation of Nixon and the fact Tricky Dick ducked debating McGovern in 1972. Granted, Nixon’s avoidance was due to memories of how badly his 1960 debates against JFK turned out but a debate would’ve momentarily put McGovern on the same level as the President which went against the GOP’s campaign strategy of marginalizing the Democratic nominee as a leftwing extremist with no chance of winning. I can see Trump thinking the same way if (especially) Sanders is the nominee. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-refuse-to-debate-the-democratic-nominee/848529.md?page=3)