WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Republican presidential debate scheduled for next week in Utah has been canceled, host Fox News said on Wednesday, after party front-runner Donald Trump told the network he would not participate. Trump, who has clashed with Fox News throughout his campaign, told the network in an interview on Wednesday he would not appear at the event, scheduled for Monday, because he thought the Republicans had "had enough debates."
Ohio Governor John Kasich said afterward he would also skip the debate unless Trump changed his mind and decided to come.
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, the third remaining Republican candidate seeking the party's nomination for the Nov. 8 presidential election, criticized Trump on Twitter, calling him #DuckingDonald and urging his supporters to tell Trump to attend.
"He's scared to debate," Cruz said in an interview on Fox News. "He's afraid of being challenged."
Fox News, part of the Twenty-First Century Fox Inc (FOXA.O) broadcast media and entertainment company controlled by Rupert Murdoch, earlier this week announced the debate, to be held in Salt Lake City, its latest in the primary season. Utah holds its presidential primary next Tuesday.
"Ted Cruz has expressed a willingness to debate Trump or Kasich - or both. But obviously, there needs to be more than one participant," Fox News Channel’s executive vice president of news, Michael Clemente, said in a statement. "So the Salt Lake City debate is canceled."
After the cancellation, Trump posted on Twitter that he would make a "big speech" the night of the debate, "but I wish everyone well."
