Former President Donald Trump has made it abundantly clear: he’s done with debates. Following Tuesday night’s vice presidential showdown, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to announce his decision.

“I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING ANY MORE DEBATES!” Trump declared, emphasizing his point with capital letters. He argued that his substantial lead in the polls negates the need for further debates, stating, “We are not going to play that game anymore!”

Trump’s announcement came on the heels of the second Republican primary debate, which he skipped in favor of a speech to striking autoworkers in Michigan. His absence from the debate stage didn’t seem to hurt his standing, as he maintained his lead in the polls.

The former president didn’t hold back in his criticism of the debate, calling it “unwatchable” and suggesting that the Republican National Committee (RNC) should put an end to future debates. He argued that these events only serve to benefit the “absolutely horrendous” Fox News and other networks that he believes are hostile to his campaign.

Trump’s decision to bow out of future debates isn’t entirely surprising. He’s been hinting at this move for a while, even skipping the first GOP debate in Milwaukee. His campaign has consistently maintained that his significant lead in the polls makes participating in debates unnecessary.

The RNC, however, seems to have other plans. They’ve already scheduled a third debate for early November in Miami. It’ll be interesting to see how they respond to Trump’s declaration and whether they’ll proceed with their planned debate schedule.

Trump’s strategy of avoiding debates while maintaining his frontrunner status is certainly bold. It’s a move that’s likely to ruffle some feathers within the GOP, but given his loyal base and strong polling numbers, it might just pay off. Only time will tell how this decision impacts the race for the Republican nomination.