Trump Won’t Go Forward With Debate

By JEREMY W. PETERS
NYT

Donald J. Trump has dropped plans to moderate a presidential debate, but don’t expect him to fade quietly from the political scene.

In fact, Republicans may have gotten more than they bargained for by shunning him. Mr. Trump’s statement on Tuesday that he was bowing out of the Newsmax debate seemed certain to open the door to another round of “I just might …” threats from the real estate mogul.

“It is very important to me that the right Republican candidate be chosen to defeat the failed and very destructive Obama administration,” Mr. Trump said in his statement. “But if that Republican, in my opinion, is not the right candidate, I am not willing to give up my right to run as an independent candidate.”

Mr. Trump drew considerable criticism from the Republican establishment for moderating a presidential debate while openly saying that he might still run if he was displeased with the candidates. Rather than go ahead with the debate and declare that he will not run — Mr. Trump has flirted with running for president several times since the 1980s but has always decided not to follow through — he chose to drop the debate.

(More here.)