Donald Trump says Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is missing a chance to connect with voters by choosing not to participate in the Newsmax ION Television Presidential Debate in Iowa this month.
“I’m doing a favor for Newsmax, which is really a great organization — they asked me to do it — and it’s certainly getting a lot of press,” Trump said today on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. “I’ve never seen anything like it.
“If I were Mitt, I’d want to be on . . . a lot of people will be watching,” Trump said, adding that he expects the Dec. 27 debate in Des Moines to be “well covered” in the media.
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“I’m surprised Mitt Romney said no,” Trump said, noting that Romney, who has sought his endorsement, “was very nice” and called him Tuesday to give him the news first hand. He said Romney told him, “You know, I’m very busy.”
Asked on the show about other debate participants, Trump said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum have agreed to attend.
Romney was the third GOP candidate to turn down a chance to appear in the debate. Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former U.S. ambassador and Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman also have chosen to forgo the opportunity.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, meanwhile, have not yet announced whether they intend to show up.
Trump reiterated that he intends to make the hour-long program to be aired on ION television and streamed at Newsmax.com “just a good, old-fashioned debate” that focuses on the issues Americans are concerned about.
Rules for the debate will be set beforehand, so that time isn’t wasted in the beginning explaining the process to the candidates, he said.
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