Trump skipping GOP debate to attend AIPAC conference
Republican front-runner says he’s ‘doing a major speech in front of a very important group of people that night’
WASHINGTON — Republican front-runner Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he would skip the upcoming Republican debate to address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s annual policy conference.
“I’m doing a major speech in front of a very important group of people that night,” Trump said on the “Fox & Friends” show Wednesday morning.
The pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC has not yet released its schedule of speakers for the upcoming policy conference, but has confirmed that Trump, along with former secretary of state and Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden, will the address over 18,000 attendees expected at the conference, which runs March 20-22.
Trump said he had only recently found out about the Fox News debate, and wasn’t able to cancel his appearance at the AIPAC conference.
The March 21 debate will be be moderated by television host Megyn Kelly, with whom Trump has a testy relationship. Trump bowed out of one Fox-sponsored debate earlier in the season after he tussled with host Kelly.
Without Trump, only two candidates, Senator Ted Cruz and Governor John Kasich, will take the stage in Utah.
On Tuesday, an AIPAC staffer sent out an email missive to student activists warning them that any disruption during Trump’s appearance at the conference could result in the rescinding of their conference credentials and blacklisting from all future AIPAC events.
The organization later distanced itself from complaints that it was unfairly targeting students, and said that the email was sent in error and without authorization.
AIPAC officials emphasized Tuesday that the conference provides a unique opportunity for the candidates from both parties to share their views and discuss their policy objectives regarding America’s relationship with Israel and the broader Middle East.
