Is this the offer that Donald Trump won't be able to refuse?
In a joint statement, the families of hedge fund executive Robert Mercer and energy investor Toby Neugebauer said if Trump agrees to debate Ted Cruz in Iowa before Sunday, they'll donate $1.5 million to veteran charities. The families have already given millions of dollars to pro-Cruz super PACs, The Washington Post reports. By promising to donate to organizations that help veterans, they're lining up with a cause Trump supports — earlier Wednesday, he said instead of attending the Fox News Republican debate on Thursday, he'll hold his own special event in Des Moines that will benefit vets.
To take advantage of this "truly fantastic deal," Trump just has to consent to an hour-long, one-on-one debate with Cruz, with the candidates deciding on a moderator together. The venue is already booked — Cruz announced on Wednesday he's rented a room at Western Iowa Tech Community College on Saturday night — it's just a matter of whether or not Trump will show up. "I am very excited about the opportunity to see how good of a negotiator Donald Trump is," Neugebauer told the Post. "He has repeatedly said throughout the process that he can negotiate a great deal, and this is a fantastic opportunity for him to do that for the vets."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
5 museum-grade cartoons about Trump's Smithsonian purgeCartoons Artists take on institutional rebranding, exhibit interpretation, and more
-
Settling the West Bank: a death knell for a Palestine state?In the Spotlight The reality on the ground is that the annexation of the West Bank is all but a done deal
-
Codeword: August 23, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Judge: Trump's US attorney in NJ serving unlawfullySpeed Read The appointment of Trump's former personal defense lawyer, Alina Habba, as acting US attorney in New Jersey was ruled 'unlawful'
-
Third judge rejects DOJ's Epstein records requestSpeed Read Judge Richard Berman was the third and final federal judge to reject DOJ petitions to unseal Epstein-related grand jury material
-
Texas OKs gerrymander sought by TrumpSpeed Read The House approved a new congressional map aimed at flipping Democratic-held seats to Republican control
-
Israel starts Gaza assault, approves West Bank planSpeed Read Israel forces pushed into the outskirts of Gaza City and Netanyahu's government gave approval for a settlement to cut the occupied Palestinian territory in two
-
Court says labor board's structure unconstitutionalSpeed Read The ruling has broad implications for labor rights enforcement in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi
-
Feds seek harsh charges in DC arrests, except for riflesSpeed Read The DOJ said 465 arrests had been made in D.C. since Trump federalized law enforcement there two weeks ago
-
Trump taps Missouri AG to help lead FBISpeed Read Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has been appointed FBI co-deputy director, alongside Dan Bongino
-
Trump warms to Kyiv security deal in summitSpeed Read Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Trump's support for guaranteeing his country's security 'a major step forward'
