Is it a debate if Donald Trump is not there and who will young voters back in 2024?
TMJ4's Chief Political Reporter Charles Benson talked with NBC's Chuck Todd about the week's big political stories.
The first Republican presidential primary debate will be in Milwaukee this August.
Former President Donald Trump says he might skip the Milwaukee debate. Trump is leading in the polls and believes there’s no advantage for him to debate the other challengers this early.
"He's right," said Todd. “I don't think he does. I think right now he sort of sees this the same way the NFL treats the preseason, right? The first two games feature players you've never heard of and never will. And then it may be the third debate. Maybe in the third preseason game you get to see the starters."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is Trump's closest competitor and was in Wisconsin over the weekend for the GOP Lincoln Day dinner in Marathon County.
Todd thinks Trump might sit out some early debates for now. The second GOP presidential primary will be at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.
The Republican field includes former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and recently announced conservative radio host Larry Elder.
"My guess is this. He's (Trump) definitely not doing the first debate. I think he wants to send a message to the Reagan Library by not doing the second," Todd said. "I do think we will see him later in the fall. But I think this is a little bit of him as a power play going; let's see how your debates are going when I'm not there."
President Joe Biden is seeking re-election and faces a long-shot challenger who is the scion of a political family. Robert F. Kennedy Jr announced last month he wants the Democratic nomination.
Former Governor Scott Walker in a recent Washington Times opinion column suggested Trump should be in Wisconsin for the August debate.
Walker also said Trump needs to find a way to win over more 18-to-29-year-old voters if he is nominated. A majority of young voters backed Joe Biden in 2020.
"It appears to me it is the culture war issues that are costing Republicans among voters under 35,” said Todd, especially on the abortion issue. "But on all of these sort of culture issues, Republicans are massively out of step with that age bracket."
Todd says just look at the turnout in Dane County, home to the University of Wisconsin, for the recent state Supreme Court race. Dane County had more total votes in that April election than Milwaukee County, by far the largest county in the state.
"Young voters are not partisan," said Todd. "What's interesting about the Gen Z, they're not like overwhelmingly Democrat versus Republican but they are overwhelmingly progressive on cultural issues and that's the Republican Party's big problem right now."
Chuck Todd is on Meet the Press Sunday mornings at 8 on TMJ4.
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