Donald Trump says he’s withdrawing as moderator of a GOP presidential debate in Iowa.

The Dec. 27 debate in Iowa has been in jeopardy since Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum are the only candidates willing to take the stage with the real estate developer – reality TV star.

The rest of the GOP field bowed out, with Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman making clear they believe the debate would be a spectacle with Trump as moderator.

“I believe this would not only have been the most watched debate, but also the most substantive and interesting debate,” Trump said in a statement.

Trump said he’s still not ruling out the possibility of running for president as an independent. He said he’s stepping aside as moderator of the debate sponsored by Newsmax, a conservative magazine and website, to avoid any conflict of interest.

“It is very important to me that the right Republican candidate be chosen to defeat the failed and very destructive Obama Administration, but if that Republican, in my opinion, is not the right candidate, I am not willing to give up my right to run as an Independent candidate,” Trump said.

(Source: USA Today)