This post has been updated.
The next Republican presidential debate, scheduled for Monday in Salt Lake City, was cancelled after frontrunner Donald Trump said he would skip the event, Fox News confirmed Wednesday.
Fox News executive vice president Michael Clemente confirmed the cancellation in a statement, saying after Ohio Gov. John Kasich said he wouldn’t attend the event without Trump, “there needs to be more than one participant.”
“Ted Cruz has expressed a willingness to debate Trump or Kasich – or both,” Clemente said in a statement provided to TPM. “But obviously, there needs to be more than one participant. So the Salt Lake City debate is cancelled.”
Local Fox affiliate KSTU first reported confirmation the from the convention center that the event had been cancelled.
The news comes after Trump said he wouldn’t attend the debate, citing a speech already scheduled at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Shortly after, Kasich said he wouldn’t attend the event without Trump.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) hit back at Trump for skipping the debate, launching a campaign “petition” that said Trump was too “scared to debate” him.
Here’s the full statement from Clemente:
On Feb. 20, the Republican National Committee announced that a GOP presidential primary debate would be held on March 21 in Salt Lake City. They offered that debate to Fox News Channel to host, provided there were enough candidates actively campaigning. This morning, Donald Trump announced he would not be participating in the debate. Shortly afterward, John Kasich’s campaign announced that without Trump at the debate, Kasich would not participate. Ted Cruz has expressed a willingness to debate Trump or Kasich — or both. But obviously, there needs to be more than one participant. So the Salt Lake City debate is cancelled.
