COUNTER-PROGRAMMING

Due to the notoriously mercurial nature of much of Trump’s decision-making, sources close to him and Republicans working on his re-election say even though he has privately said his mind is made up, it is always possible he alters course as the debate quickly approaches

Rolling Stone

Trump Will Skip Debate for Tucker Carlson Interview: Report

The former president has been playing coy about whether he will go toe-to-toe with his GOP rivals next week. He's reportedly now decided that he won't

AUGUST 18, 2023

Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson during the third round of the LIV Golf Invitational Series Bedminster on July 31, 2022 at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA GETTY IMAGES

DONALD TRUMP WILL skip the first GOP presidential primary debate next week, opting instead to sit down for an interview with Tucker Carlson, The New York Times reported on Friday.
Trump has long been playing coy about whether he will participate in the debate, which will be hosted by Carlson’s former employer, Fox News. The former president hinted Thursday night on Truth Social that he would forgo stepping behind a podium alongside his Republican rivals.
“Many people are asking whether or not I will be doing the DEBATES?” he wrote.

 “ALL AMERICANS have been clamoring for a President of extremely High Intelligence. As everyone is aware, my Poll numbers, over a ‘wonderful’ field of Republican candidates, are extraordinary. In fact, I am leading the runner up, whoever that may now be, by more than 50 Points. Reagan didn’t do it, and neither did others. People know my Record, one of the BEST EVER, so why would I Debate? I’M YOUR MAN. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Trump is indeed leading his competitors by a comfortable margin, with most polls showing him several dozen percentage points clear of Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy. The Times reports that Trump made up his mind about skipping the debate over the course of the past 24 hours, citing multiple sources briefed on the matter.

• Trump wasn’t going to go silently into the night, of course, and a high-profile sit-down with Carlson isn’t a surprising counter-programming choice. 
• The two reportedly spoke about doing something similar after Carlson was ousted from Fox News earlier this year. 
• It’s unclear whether the interview with Carlson will be live or pre-taped, but it’s quite the dagger to his former network, as President Jay Wallace and CEO Suzanne Scott have been desperately trying to convince Trump to participate in the debate.

A source close to Trump confirms to Rolling Stone that the former president has very recently, as he has for months, reiterated to confidants that he wants to skip the Fox News debate, arguing there is little upside for Trump to just “give it to them,” referring to Fox News and also his 2024 GOP primary opponents. 

• The former president has long insisted the attention and increased ratings he would likely bring to the first debate would afford DeSantis and other candidates a scale of free advertising that they may not get if Trump were to skip.