On Sunday, Donald Trump announced he’s sidestepping the upcoming Republican debate in Milwaukee. Trump believes the public knows him already and his lead is big enough to justify not being on the debate stage with other candidates. Trump wrote on Truth Social:
‘The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had, with Energy Independence, Strong Borders & Military, Biggest EVER Tax & Regulation Cuts, No Inflation, Strongest Economy in History, & much more. I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!’
According to the New York Times Trump has taped an interview with ex-Fox News personality Tucker Carlson and plans to air it during the debate on Wednesday. Carlson’s digital interviews on X (once called Twitter) have a history of fetching over 100 million views and Trump could be looking to outshine the debate.
A bid to overshadow both 2024 GOP competitors and Fox News? Maybe. As of now, the Trump camp remains mum, though an insider hinted the Carlson sit-down isn’t a sealed deal yet.
The Fox team is contemplating incorporating video segments of Trump into their debate questions. They plan to question other candidates about Trump’s recent indictment in Georgia. While the specific video clips to be used are uncertain, there’s speculation that Fox might be trying to coax Trump into joining.
Bret Baier who is set to set to moderate the debate, suggested that even if Trump doesn’t physically attend, his presence will be felt in the debate topics and questions. He hinted that snippets or references related to Trump might be used during the debate.
