Former US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he will not take part in the debates in the primary elections of the Republican Party, the first of which will be held on Wednesday, AFP reported on Monday.

“The public knows who I am and what a successful presidency I have with energy independence, strong borders and a strong military, the most significant tax cuts and regulation, zero inflation, the strongest economy in history and many other things,” Trump said on his platform Truth Social .

“SO I WILL NOT BE TAKING PART IN THE DEBATES!” he added, claiming he was benefiting from 62 percent of the Republican primary vote, a 46 percentage point lead over his primary challenger, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

With five months to go before the primaries to nominate the Republican Party’s nominee for the 2024 US presidential election, Donald Trump is enjoying stronger support than ever. But his court setbacks cast a shadow over his bid to return to the White House.

The Republican billionaire is accused of electoral pressure during the 2020 presidential election, careless handling of confidential documents and suspicious payments to a former porn actress.

The former president has pleaded not guilty to all of these cases, which he describes as a “witch hunt” under the leadership of the Biden administration.

The first Republican debate is scheduled to take place on Wednesday in Milwaukee, in the northeastern United States.