MILWAUKEE — Donald Trump Jr. confirmed he will attend the GOP presidential primary debate in Milwaukee this week, even though his father, former president Donald Trump, said he will not be in attendance.
The Trump campaign told The Hill that Trump Jr. will be in Milwaukee as a “surrogate,” supporting his dad’s reelection bid. The debate is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 23 at Fiserv Forum. Candidates are set to take the stage at 8 p.m.
Trump has said for months he was considering sitting out the debate and previously suggested he might participate in an alternate event. He instead will sit for an interview with Tucker Carlson, The New York Times reported Friday.
The Trump campaign did not respond to an email from Spectrum News on Friday, but the former president indicated in a post on his Truth Social platform Thursday night that he was unlikely to participate in the debate.
“As everyone is aware, my Poll numbers, over a ‘wonderful’ field of Republican candidates, are extraordinary,” Trump wrote. “In fact, I am leading the runner up, whoever that may now be, by more than 50 Points. Reagan didn’t do it, and neither did others. People know my Record, one of the BEST EVER, so why would I Debate?”
While Trump exaggerated his poll numbers — recent national surveys have him leading anywhere from 37 to 45 percentage points — he does hold a commanding advantage over the field despite being indicted for the fourth time in five months earlier this week.
