Three-quarters of Republican voters say there should be no more debates, contending that the GOP should, instead, coalesce behind former President Donald Trump and “fight Biden’s political indictments,” a McLaughlin & Associates survey found.
The survey asked Republican primary voters if they agreed or disagreed with the following statement:
Currently Donald Trump is leading in all the Republican primary polls nationally by very big margins of 30, 40 or more points and winning early states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina by big margins. Even more important President Trump leads Joe Biden in the national media polls like ABC/Washington Post, CBS, Harvard Harris and others. It’s time to stop the RNC debates attacking Donald Trump, fight Biden’s political indictments, and rally Republicans behind President Trump so we can start the campaign of beating Joe Biden.
Overall, 76 percent agree with the sentiment that the debates should end, and of those, 56 percent “strongly” agree,” and 19 percent “somewhat” agree. Just 16 percent disagree with the statement, and among those, 11 percent “strongly” disagree and five percent “somewhat” disagree. Eight percent do not know or refused to answer.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump salutes supporters during a campaign rally at Minden-Tahoe Airport on October 08, 2022, in Minden, Nevada (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images).
The survey was taken October 19-24, weeks ahead of the third scheduled Republican primary debate, which is slated to take place November 8 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida.
The third scheduled debate has already come under criticism, as two of the three moderators hail from NBC News. Lester Holt of Nightly News and Kristen Welker of Meet the Press will join Hugh Hewitt of The Hugh Hewitt Show, the latter of whom apparently serves as the debate’s conservative element — something each debate has, as promised by Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. However, she told Breitbart News Daily in April that it would be difficult to wholly exclude members of the establishment media, as there are not enough conservative networks to work with.
Lester Holt and Kristen Welker (AP Photo/Richard Drew, NBC News)
“But the reality is, you know, there’s not enough conservative networks. We can’t do all the debates on Fox,” McDaniel said at the time.
“So that’s an issue we’re going to be facing and dealing with as we go forward, but there will be a conservative partner with every single debate,” she added.
Media Research Center founder and President L. Brent Bozell III sent a scathing letter of advice — first obtained by Breitbart News — to NBC moderators this week, confronting the network on the potential bias of both Holt and Welker ahead of the debate. In the letter, Bozell urged moderators to remember their role in the debate. They are not a combatant or candidate and, therefore, should approach the Republican candidates with a sense of neutrality, he said, urging them to also acknowledge that the audience is conservative voters — not Democrats or left-wing activists.
“While recognizing the chasm that exists between you and your viewers, don’t ever disrespect them. They love their country, believe in the dignity of every human being, and have the humility to give thanks to their Creator for making them in His image,” he wrote in part.
The third debate comes as Trump continues to boast a massive lead in poll after poll, both nationally and on the individual state level. Current RealClearPolitics averages of early primary and caucus states show Trump leading his GOP competitors by double digits. It is a reality that has remained consistent over the course of the primary.
