Republican debate viewers say Donald Trump was right to stay away: Exclusive poll finds 71 percent agree with former president’s decision

The vast majority of Republicans believe former President Donald Trump was right to stay away from the first presidential debate on Wednesday night, according to an exclusive DailyMail.com poll.

A whopping 71 percent said he made the right choice. Only 22 percent disagreed.

Rather than join eight other candidates on stage, Trump taped an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and still managed to grab headlines.

James Johnson, co-founder of JL Partners who conducted the poll, said the former president could claim a win.

“Nearly three in four Republicans think he was right to stay away, demonstrating his grip on the Republican primary voter — for many, the former president can’t do anything wrong,” he said. he declared.

Former President Donald Trump instead recorded an interview with Tucker Carlson at his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey. It aired during Wednesday’s debate

“And without a clear debate winner, there is no consensus on who should be the leading candidate to take on Trump.

“The longer this lasts, the more likely Trump is to repeat his 2016 trick and sail to victory with his divided opponents.”

The former president let eight other candidates trade blows on the stage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His aides said they were essentially vying for the post of vice president in the Trump administration.

Overall, Republican viewers declared biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy the big winner. Some 28 percent of 504 people polled said he had the best results, trailing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis by one percentage point.

When asked who won the night and given the option to pick Trump, Ramaswamy still came out on top with 22 percent. But the former president comes second with 21 percent.

He has a huge lead over his rivals for the nomination. Polls consistently give him a lead of 30 points or more.

With that kind of advantage, aides said there was no point taking the stage with single-digit candidates in the polls.

“Do I just sit there for an hour or two, no matter what, and get harassed by people who shouldn’t even be running for president? Should I do this on a network that isn’t particularly friendly to me? Trump told Carlson.

The first debate was hosted by Fox News. Trump has been throwing spades since he called Arizona for Joe Biden on election night.

Viewers deemed biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy the winner of the debate, edging out Florida Governor Ron DeSantis by one percentage point in a DailyMail.com poll.

Ramaswamy still came out on top when Donald Trump was added to the mix. He managed to grab headlines even while staying away from the debate.

Ramaswamy was seen speaking with reporters in the press room immediately after the debate ended in Milwaukee on Wednesday night.

And senior adviser Jason Miller said the decision was justified by the way Wednesday unfolded. Carlson’s interview surpassed 100 million views within hours of posting.

“Ten times as many people watched Tucker Carlson’s interview of President Trump than actually watched that bunch of pigs,” he said in the broadcast room after the debate ended.

“President Trump was right to stand aside, to let others kick in on their own, and to be carbon copies or faint echoes of America-first policies while President Trump was at the helm. orders.

His influence was evident on stage anyway. Male contestants wore his uniform consisting of a navy blue suit, white shirt and red tie.

And they were asked if they would honor their commitment to support the eventual 2024 nominee, even in the extraordinary circumstances where the nominee was a convicted felon.

“If former President Trump is found guilty in court, would you still support him as your party’s choice? asked Fox News host Brett Baier. “Please raise your hand if you wish.”

Ramaswamy, who is campaigning like a more competent version of Trump, raised his hand.

Next to him, DeSantis was slower, glancing at his rivals and looking like he was making a political calculation as the crowd began to scoff.

It’s all reminiscent of Trump’s ability to cast a shadow over his rivals without even taking the stage.

In the interview, he also suggested the nation could see an escalation in political violence, after Carlson asked him if the United States was headed for conflict.

‘I don’t know. I can say this: there is a level of passion that I have never seen,” he said.

“There’s a level of hate that I’ve never seen. And that’s probably a bad combination.