(Image Source: Trump.com)


BY ERICA COGHILL


So about that Republican Newsmax debate set for December 27th in Iowa... you know, the one Donald Trump was supposed to moderate?  Well, he announced Tuesday he’s backing out.

CNN has more...

“In his own words, this is what Donald trump said: “It is very important to me that the right Republican candidate be chosen … I’m willing to give up my right to run as an independent candidate. Therefore, so there is no conflict of interest within the Republican party, I have decided not to be the moderator of the Newsmax debate.”

Trump also noted that he was backing out to keep the door open for himself for an Oval Office run, and thanked Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich for being the only candidates to accept the debate invitation.

But MSNBC’s Mark Murray thinks the real reason behind the decision is just that -- that only two candidates said “yes.”

“It shouldn't be a surprise. Many candidates, including Mitt Romney, decided they were not going to participate in this debate. That included Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann -- Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum are the two that said they were going to.  When so many said no, it made sense that this would not happen.”

And The Christian Science Monitor suggests it wasn’t only the lack of RSVPs that forced Trump to fire himself -- there was more bad blood around the debate.

“...in general, the debate was drawing a bad GOP vibe. And Trump, the brand, cannot be associated with bad-vibe flops. So Trump, the person, needed to find a way to get out of the corner he had talked his way into.”

The Apprentice star said he thought the debate would have been the most watched. The Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson agrees, but adds it would have been a train wreck.

“...pointing out the obvious: Trump was setting up a reality-show spectacular that would obviously demean the presidency, not to mention any candidate for the presidency who was foolish enough to take part.”

But Newsmax -- one of the debate’s hosts -- says it regrets the fallout surrounding the would-be host. Its editorial director says...

“We are very disappointed as we believe Mr. Trump would have made a tough and fair moderator. However, we respect his view that the role may have presented a conflict of interest in light of the fact that he now wishes to keep his options open to run for the presidency himself.”

As for whether the debate is still on post-Trump -- TV Newser reports that’s still up in the air as of Tuesday evening.

Politics News: Trump Pulls Out of Newsmax Debate

Trump Pulls Out of Newsmax Debate

December 13, 2011
(2:31)
Donald Trump has pulled out of the GOP debate he was set to monitor -- find out his reason, and why many are skeptical of it.
   
TRANSCRIPT

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