CARBONDALE, Ill. (WSIL) -- Former President Donald Trump's influence on the GOP remains strong after it voted to cut ties with the commission on presidential debates, says one SIU analyst.
John Shaw, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, says the decision doesn't come as a surprise and may be a way to keep Trump away from the debate stage.
Shaw says it's evidence of Trump's grip on the GOP rather than Republicans using careful political strategy. Shaw says it's evident by watching the debates in 2016 and 2020"
"[Trump] did not prepare for it in the way that most candidates did when they studied issues and really kind of boned up on issues that were really important to the country," Shaw said. "That's not how Trump approached these debates."
The commission on presidential debates was created in 1987 with bipartisan support.
In a , RNC spokeswoman Ronna McDaniel says the commission, 'is biased and has refused to enact simple and common sense reforms to help ensure fair debates including hosting debates before voting begins and selecting moderators who have never worked for candidates on the debate stage."