North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum was injured while playing pick-up basketball with his staff on Tuesday, according to a report, throwing his participation in the first GOP primary debate Wednesday night into doubt. The Republican presidential hopeful was taken to a Milwaukee emergency room following his injury, a source told CNN. Burgum was one of the eight candidates included in the debate’s lineup, with all of the debate’s participants scheduled to attend a walkthrough at the event site in Milwaukee on Wednesday afternoon. It’s now uncertain if he will take part. Donald Trump, the current frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination, will not take part in the debate, choosing instead to record an interview with former Fox host Tucker Carlson. The former president on Wednesday morning promised that “SPARKS WILL FLY” in his interview which is due to air at the same time as the debate.
