Latest Longshot GOP Presidential Candidate Might Have Already Cost Himself A Debate Stage Slot
Mary Lou Masters on June 23, 2023
Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, the latest presidential candidate to enter the growing GOP primary field, might not make the debate stage due to requirements set by the Republican National Committee (RNC).
On June 2, the RNC rolled out the criteria candidates must meet to participate in the first debate in August, including polling and donor requirements, as well as a loyalty pledge to support the eventual nominee. Hurd, a frequent critic of former President Donald Trump, told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Thursday evening that he isn’t going to sign the RNC’s loyalty pledge, and won’t support the former president if he becomes the nominee.
“I won’t be signing any kind of pledges, and I don’t think that parties should be trying to rig who should be on a debate stage,” said Hurd. “Donald Trump is not going to sign that pledge either, and part of it was designed to put him in that place.”
“I am not in the business of lying to the American people in order to get a microphone, and I’m not going to support Donald Trump, and so I can’t honestly say I’m going to sign something even if he may or may not be the nominee,” Hurd added.
When asked whether he’s calling on the RNC to amend their rules, Hurd replied, “the RNC can do whatever the RNC wants to do.” The former congressman also said the only pledges he has or will make are to the American flag, his wife and the Constitution.
The RNC’s loyalty pledge has also drawn criticism from former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Hutchinson asked the RNC to amend their loyalty pledge amid concerns over Trump’s indictments, and Christie called the requirement a “useless idea,” though he said he’d do what’s necessary to be on the debate stage.
“Individuals who are seeking the Republican nomination for President are being asked to respect the decision of Republican Primary voters and support the eventual nominee they pick to beat Biden,” RNC senior advisor Richard Walters previously told the DCNF in a statement. “Candidates who are complaining about this to the press should seriously reconsider their priorities and whether they should even be running.”
Neither Hurd nor the RNC immediately responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.
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