Trump to Hold Rally in Florida on Night of GOP Debate

Former President Donald Trump will hold a rally in Florida on the same night as the third Republican presidential primary debate, which he is once again choosing to skip.

Former President Donald Trump has announced that he will hold a rally in Florida on the same evening as the third Republican presidential primary debate, which he is once again choosing to skip. Trump's campaign says he will hold a rally on November 8 at a stadium in Hialeah, Florida, about a half-hour drive from the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, where his rivals will be meeting.

Trump's Commanding Lead and Hispanic Outreach

Trump has repeatedly said he sees no point in participating in the debates, given his commanding lead in the race. The choice of location for his rally, Hialeah, an overwhelmingly Hispanic suburb, reflects Republicans' hopes of winning over an increasing share of the Hispanic vote in the 2024 elections. During 2022's midterms, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, one of Trump's rivals, became the first Republican governor to win Miami-Dade county, which Hialeah is part of, in 20 years.

Show of Strength Against DeSantis

For Trump, a large crowd at his rally would also be another show of strength against DeSantis, who was long seen by his campaign as his most serious rival, but who is now struggling to maintain his second-place standing. NBC will be hosting the November debate, which will require candidates to secure 4% of the vote in multiple polls and 70,000 unique donors to qualify.

Trump's Previous Debate Skips

Trump competed with the first debate with a pre-recorded interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that was posted that night on X, the site formerly known as Twitter. He spent the second in battleground Michigan, where he tried to win over auto workers and blue-collar voters by railing against President Joe Biden's push for electric cars.

Trump moved back to Florida last month after spending the summer at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club.