Report: Trump Plans to Steal Viewers From GOP Debate

Will he talk to Tucker Carlson? Or will he surrender?
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 18, 2023 11:02 AM CDT
Report: Trump Plans to Steal Viewers From GOP Debate
Former President Donald Trump arrives to speak at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, June 30, 2023.   (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

It looks like former President Trump will not only skip the first Republican presidential primary debate, but also reportedly engage in "counterprogramming" of some form. Trump intends to draw audiences away from Wednesday's Fox News-hosted debate—which will feature his biggest Republican challenger, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis—perhaps by calling into cable news shows or by sitting for an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, according to CNN's sources. Or he could surrender at Georgia's Fulton County jail, to answer charges of trying to overthrow the results of the 2020 election, as he is expected to do at some point next week.

CNN's sources say Trump's team is in talks about a potential interview with Carlson, though nothing is set in stone yet. Indeed, though the sources say Trump is not presently planning to debate and has done no debate prep, one notes he could still change his mind. Fox News executives met with Trump last month to try to persuade him to participate, but the former president feels he has nothing to gain, even as a pro-DeSantis ad claims he's "too weak to debate," per the Hill. "I am leading the runner up, whoever that may now be, by more than 50 Points," Trump wrote Thursday on Truth Social. "People know my Record, one of the BEST EVER, so why would I Debate?" He also bashed Fox for using "the absolutely worst pictures" of him, per Insider.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina governor and US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have all met the unique donor and polling requirements to participate in the debate, which will be moderated by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum. However, Pence and Christie have yet to sign the required pledge to support the Republican Party's eventual nominee. Pence said Wednesday that he would sign the pledge, per CNN. Trump has so far refused. (More Donald Trump stories.)

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