Former President Donald J. Trump stated on Wednesday that he was unwilling to fulfill one of many necessities to take part within the first Republican presidential debate, refusing to signal a pledge to assist the eventual nominee.

“I wouldn’t sign the pledge,” he said in an interview with the conservative outlet Newsmax. “Why would I sign a pledge? There are people on there that I wouldn’t have.”

The resolution would appear to rule out the potential of him being on the debate on Aug. 23, but he additionally stated that he would announce subsequent week whether or not he deliberate to participate.

Asked for touch upon Thursday, the Republican National Committee, which sets the rules, referred to previous interviews through which its chairwoman, Ronna McDaniel, has defended the pledge and stated the committee will maintain everybody to it.

“The rules aren’t changing,” she said on CNN last month. “We’ve been very vocal with them.”

In the Newsmax interview, Mr. Trump stated, “I can name three or four people that I wouldn’t support for president,” with out naming them. “So right there, there’s a problem right there.”

Mr. Trump additionally stated within the interview that he wasn’t satisfied it was value it for him to debate given how far forward he’s within the major. A recent New York Times/Siena College poll confirmed him main the sector by an infinite margin, greater than 35 proportion factors forward of his nearest competitor, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida.

“Why would you do that when you’re leading by so much?” he requested.

Mr. Trump’s vacillation over the pledge isn’t new; he objected to signing the identical loyalty pledge throughout his first marketing campaign eight years in the past. He ultimately did, however then took it back.

That historical past underscores that the pledge is, in apply, unenforceable. Party leaders can refuse to let a candidate debate for not signing, however they will’t pressure somebody who does signal to really assist one other nominee subsequent 12 months.

One of Mr. Trump’s opponents, former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, has stated that he’ll signal the pledge, however that he wouldn’t assist Mr. Trump if he’s the eventual nominee: “I’m going to take the pledge just as seriously as Donald Trump took it in 2016,” he instructed CNN.

Another opponent, former Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, has advised that — if he in any other case qualifies for the controversy, which he hasn’t but — he would signal based mostly on the far-from-safe assumption that Mr. Trump received’t be the nominee and Mr. Hutchinson received’t truly be examined.