Donald Trump threatens not to debate Hillary Clinton, gives list of demands

Throughout the Republican primary, some of the most entertaining nights of television occurred when Donald Trump and the other GOP candidates took to the debate stage. With the general election about to kick into high gear, Trump is now threatening to sit out the upcoming debates

Trump's demands

The billionaire real estate was put on the national stage for the first time as a politician last summer, and instantly found himself in controversy when he made alleged "sexist" remarks to debate moderator Megyn Kelly. In the debates that followed, Trump would attack his fellow primary opponents as he eventually became the last person standing in the race for the Republican nomination.

While Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has agreed to three separate debates against Trump, with the first taking place next month, Trump is still questioning whether or not the will attend, as reported by Mediaite on August 9.

In an interview with TIME magazine on Tuesday, Trump was asked about the upcoming debates. Despite saying he wants to "debate very badly," the former host of "The Apprentice" has given a list of supposed demands that will have to be met in order for him to attend. Trump said that "certain moderators would be unacceptable," and he would only participate if he believes the moderators are "fair."

Trump said he would want to "renegotiate" the debates, just like he did in the primaries, with money being a possible factor.

"They were making a fortune on them and they had us in for three and a half hours," Trump said of the primary states, calling them "ridiculous." Continuing, Trump went on to state that he was confident that those involved will be "open to any suggestions."

Election status

Not debating Clinton could put further strain on the Trump campaign that is attempting to bounce back after a rough three weeks.

Following a bounce in the polls after his GOP convention speech, Trump has watched his support drop as he's been unable to stay out of the negative headlines. Recent polls show Clinton up by at least seven points on a national level, with her leads in battleground states like Ohio and Pennsylvania expanding. The first debate is scheduled for September 26, and will be held at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York.