Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday that his presidential campaign is prepared for Wednesday’s Republican debate whether or not it includes former President Donald Trump.

The New York Times reported Friday that Trump plans to skip the debate, hosted by Fox News, in favor of an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Trump has not publicly confirmed whether or not he will attend the first debate, for which he has qualified.

“We’re prepared either way,” DeSantis said in an interview with radio talk show host Erick Erickson on Friday.

DeSantis said presidential candidates “owe it to the people to put out your vision” and answer questions about their records.

“If you’re not willing to do that, then I think people are not going to look kindly on that,” DeSantis said.

He also said that many candidates have their messages “filtered” through the media, but debates will provide the chance for them to speak to voters directly. DeSantis also said he wants the candidates to discuss the future rather than “some of the other static that’s out there right now.”

“Because a lot of the static, a lot of the things about looking backward, that is not going to help us secure this border,” DeSantis said. “That is not going to help these middle-class families who are struggling to afford groceries. It’s not going to help them get better … it’s not going to help with any of that.”

Theodore Bunker ✉

Theodore Bunker is a freelance writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics with 10 years of experience in journalism.