The Wall Street Journal editorial board questioned former President Trump’s decision to skip the first GOP presidential debate this week, pointing to the former president’s four indictments and suggesting he has “more baggage than the British royals.”

The editorial board wrote that Trump’s decision to skip Wednesday’s debate comes as Trump “thinks Republicans will nominate him for a third time without a real contest,” with the newspaper board questioning the message the former president is sending to GOP voters.

“Republican voters often say they like that Mr. Trump is a fighter, but for whom is he fighting? Them, or himself? He would carry into the general election more baggage than the British royals,” the editorial states. “Yet Mr. Trump expects GOP voters to nominate him without so much as a primary debate, much less a real nominating contest.”

“There are still five months before the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, and perhaps Mr. Trump’s presumption is mistaken,” the op-ed concluded. “But political parties have made repeated nominations in the past in thrall to one man and suffered repeated losses for it.”

ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement

Trump announced Sunday that he will not attend the first Republican debate in Milwaukee, and signaled he planned to skip future debates as well.

The Journal editorial board wrote that the GOP is on track “to nominate, for the third time, a man who has been indicted four times on 91 felony counts.”

“We don’t mean despite being indicted. We mean because he’s been indicted,” it stated.

It’s been a week since Trump along with 18 of his allies were indicted by a Georgia grand jury on charges tied to efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Trump, who announced his third presidential campaign last November, has been hit with three other indictments this year relating to to his business dealings, handling of classified documents and actions following the 2020 election.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.