Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says it is time to end Republican presidential debates because former President Donald Trump has already sewn up the nomination before the first votes have been cast.

Gingrich, who himself fueled a presidential campaign in 2012 through fiery debate performances, predicted a third contest would have ‘have virtually no viewership.’

There is now evidence that Americans already turned the channel on the second televised contest.

He called on the Republican National Committee to cancel future debates, after a slugfest Wednesday night that frequently descended into bickering that was impossible for viewers to digest. A DailyMail.com snap poll found a plurality thought Trump was the winner – and he wasn’t even on the stage. A source told DailyMail.com Trump isn’t likely to take part in the third scheduled meting in Miami.

‘I think the Republican National Committee should cancel the future debates and say, “Look, we recognize the objective fact that Trump will be the nominee. We want to work with him,'”‘ Gingrich said.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a Donald Trump ally, is calling for the cancellation of future presidential debates

‘In some of these races, some of these polls, Trump is like 43 points ahead of the next person. 43 points. He’s going to be the nominee,’ he observed, in comments picked up by Mediaite.

Polls show Trump far ahead of the candidates that took the stage in Simi Valley, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who rapped the former president for failing to show up to defend his record.

Gingrich, who endorsed Trump in 2016 and led the House ‘Republican Revolution’ in  that helped set the stage Trump’s war on the establishment, said he had spoken to GOP pollster Matt Towery, who had urged Trump to run in that cycle.  

‘Matt said to me, based on what he saw last night, this race is over, Donald Trump will be the nominee, they might as well quit having the various debates because they don’t work, they’re not helping anybody, and I think that’s where we are,’ Gingrich said.

Gingrich fueled his 2012 campaign off debates. He wants the RNC to cancel the next one, set for Miami, because Trump is 'going to be the nominee'

Gingrich fueled his 2012 campaign off debates. He wants the RNC to cancel the next one, set for Miami, because Trump is ‘going to be the nominee’

‘I think Trump will be the nominee and the question now for everybody is do you want to see Joe Biden reelected or do you want to help Donald Trump? There’s no middle ground here, I don’t think.’

Gingrich’s comments came amid a move by wealthy donors to try to put forward a new alternative who might get in the way of Trump’s rise. 

CBS’ Bob Costa set off a firestorm on Thursday when he repoted that Republican billionaire megadonor Thomas Peterffy is calling allies and providing assurances to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin he would have the financial backing if he wanted to jump into the race.

Youngkin donors are planning to gather at a ‘Red Vest’ retreat in Virginia Beach October 17-18 with plans to ‘shove’ Youngkin into the 2024 race, Costa said, as they are ‘growing desperate to beat Trump.’ 

Gingrich rejected that idea, saying Youngkin could be a top or even the top contender in 2028, but not now. 

‘I suspect the money is there, but the votes aren’t,’ Gingrich said. 

He said Youngkin could be a front runner in four years, ‘But not this time, not this year.’

In prior cycles, Gingrich wasn’t so keen to dispense with debates. 

Candidates slogged through 20 of them in 2012, and Gingrich won plaudits for sharp performances.

When the party tried to cut the number in half the following year, he said, ‘I am very doubtful about any significant limitations on the number of debates and I disagree totally with the absurd idea that the debates are harmful.’

‘The debates are only harmful if you nominate somebody who can’t debate.,’ he said. He also complained about efforts by rich donors to ‘strangle’ less-financed competitors. 

Debates have served a key role in winnowing the presidential field and allowing competitors to prove themselves. Barack Obama helped beat back a seemingly inevitable Hillary Clinton candidacy in part by hitting her record in debates. Biden turned in strong showings even while failing to attract many votes, helping prompt Biden to choose him as his running mate.

Biden selected Kamala Harris as his running mate despite her blasting him in a debate over school bussing. 

Gingrich spoke after the second debate of the 2024 Republican primary drew an average audience of 9.5million, statistics show. 

Spread across three separate channels – Fox Business, Fox News, and Univision – the debate’s viewership was down more than 3million from the first, but was still the most-watched thing on TV on Wednesday night.

The simulcast saw 1.82 million tune in to Fox Business for the event, while roughly 6.69 million watched on sister channel Fox News. Another 813,000 viewers took it on Spanish-speaking Univision.

On Fox Business – the official sponsor of the event – the debate delivered the network’s highest-rated telecast since 2016, despite Donald Trump being notably absent.

That said, the former president – and current frontrunner – also missed the first, which delivered a much more robust 12.8million after it aired last month, that time also on Fox.

The second debate of the 2024 Republican primary drew an average audience of 9.5million - down more than 3million from last month's

The second debate of the 2024 Republican primary drew an average audience of 9.5million – down more than 3million from last month’s

Spread across three separate channels, the debate's viewership was down from the first, but  still the most-watched thing on TV

Spread across three separate channels, the debate’s viewership was down from the first, but  still the most-watched thing on TV

A drop-off from a first debate to the second is far from abnormal, historical data shows – given the inherent intrigue of a first faceoff between the candidates.

Seven in total participated this time around, after Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who qualified for the first debate, failed to make the finalized list after he came short on necessary polling numbers.

Left standing Wednesday were ex New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy,  North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and South Carolina’s Nikki Haley and Tim Scott.

The seven sparred on-stage at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library for a total of two hours, in front of a California crowd who at times could be heard reacting to the war of words with both confusion and silence.

Jokes – aside from Christie’s stating Trump should be known as ‘Donald Duck’ – often fell flat, and aggressive showings from figures like Haley and pharma billionaire Ramaswamy looked to have potential to divide Republican voters.

Also striking was how uncomfortable candidates appeared while discussing hot-button issues such as abortion – a topic that took more than a 100 minutes to even be brought up.

Also discussed were polarizing subjects like gender identity and ‘transgenderism’, as Ramaswamy called it, after many pegged the 38-year-old newcomer as the surprise winner of last month’s debate.

He slammed the phenomena, ‘especially in kids, [as] a mental health disorder.’

Seven in total participated this time around, after Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who qualified for the first debate, failed to make the finalized list after he came short on necessary polling numbers

Seven in total participated this time around, after Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who qualified for the first debate, failed to make the finalized list after he came short on necessary polling numbers

Aggressive showings from figures like Haley and pharma billionaire Ramaswamy looked to have potential to divide Republican voters

Aggressive showings from figures like Haley and pharma billionaire Ramaswamy looked to have potential to divide Republican voters

Jokes - sans one from Christie that stated Trump should be known as 'Donald Duck' - also often fell flat, on a night where the next best shows in terms of ratings were the America's Got Talent and Survivor

Jokes – sans one from Christie that stated Trump should be known as ‘Donald Duck’ – also often fell flat, on a night where the next best shows in terms of ratings were the America’s Got Talent and Survivor

On Fox Business - the official sponsor of the event - the debate delivered the network’s highest-rated telecast since 2016, despite Donald Trump being notably absent

On Fox Business – the official sponsor of the event – the debate delivered the network’s highest-rated telecast since 2016, despite Donald Trump being notably absent 

Such comments managed to draw somewhat respectable ratings – though on a night where major broadcasters for the most part stuck to game shows and reality TV.

Still, such a decision shows the average US viewer’s burgeoning interest in major live political events, especially following the circus that was the 2016 campaign, which started Trump’s meteoric ascent to the top of the party.

Eight years later, he remains at the top of the heap, and his absence could be felt both on the stage and in Wednesday Nielsen ratings.

Comparing it with other political TV face-offs, Trump’s first presidential debate with Hilary Clinton in 2016 drew 84 million US TV viewers, while his clash with Biden last election cycle secured an audience of 73 million.

The number is also down significantly from the average 15.5 million spread across the 12 primary debates in 2016, when Trump took TV by storm with a decidedly atypical debating style.

Noting his own absence last month, Trump at the time claimed the first debate got low ratings – though considering its absence and the fact that it was during a primary, the figure was actually somewhat on the mark. 

The debate's viewership was down more than 3million from the first, held in Milwaukee on August 23, but was still the most-watched thing on TV

The debate’s viewership was down more than 3million from the first, held in Milwaukee on August 23, but was still the most-watched thing on TV 

The debate for the most part did not touch on Trump - though a few candidates, including DeSantis and Christie, were often more critical of the ex president

The debate for the most part did not touch on Trump – though a few candidates, including DeSantis and Christie, were often more critical of the ex president

Flanked by rivals such as Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, and Mike Pence, the 38-year-old businessman from Ohio instead insisted 'parents have a right to know' about prospective transitions, and that 'it is not compassionate to affirm a kid's confusion'

Flanked by rivals such as Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, and Mike Pence, the 38-year-old businessman from Ohio instead insisted ‘parents have a right to know’ about prospective transitions, and that ‘it is not compassionate to affirm a kid’s confusion’

Nielsen statistics that supports this include the average 13.2 million TV viewers – across all platforms – who tuned in to the first two Democratic primary debates in 2020

Be that as it may, Trump’s first presidential debate in August of 2015 drew a historic 24 million viewers – though at a time where the eventual president was still considered a novelty, and amid a much more competitive race.

That intrigue persisted into the next debate as well, which averaged 23million.

The debate, moderated by Fox News’s Dana Perino, Fox Business Network’s Stuart Varney, and Univision’s Ilia Calderón, for the most part did not touch on Trump – though a few candidates, including DeSantis and Christie, were often more critical of the ex president.

Meanwhile, the event still managed to beat out next-best programs like the season finale of America’s Got Talent on NBC, which drew 5.36 million viewers – and the season premiere of Survivor which managed 5.24 million. 

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