Trump skips GOP debate, speaks with Tucker Carlson

Former President Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is skipping the first GOP debate and opting for an interview with Tucker Carlson instead. The interview will be available on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, and airs just before the debate. Trump's decision is seen as a slight to Fox News, the debate host. Despite legal trouble, Trump's lead in the polls continues to grow.

Former President Donald Trump, who is currently the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has made the decision to skip the first GOP debate. Instead, he has chosen to participate in an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson as a form of counterprogramming.

This pre-recorded interview will be available on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, starting at 8:55 p.m. ET, just five minutes before the scheduled start of Wednesday night's debate.

This choice is seen as a slight to Fox News, the host of the debate, as well as the other candidates in the GOP field. Trump, who previously praised Fox News for its coverage, has recently expressed dissatisfaction with the conservative news network in his social media posts. In fact, Fox News canceled Carlson's show in April, shortly after settling a lawsuit related to its reporting on the 2020 election.

According to court documents from Dominion Voting Systems' defamation lawsuit against Fox News, Carlson wrote to his staff in early January 2021, expressing his desire to ignore Trump's coverage most nights. He even stated, "I hate him passionately."

However, it was Trump himself who approached Carlson about the idea of airing an interview on the same night as the debate, as confirmed by the former Fox News host.

In a video posted on social media Wednesday afternoon, Tucker said, "Whatever you think of Trump, he is, as of tonight, the indisputable, far-and-away frontrunner in the Republican race. We think voters have an interest in hearing what he thinks."

It is worth noting that Trump's appearance with Carlson will be broadcast one day before he is expected to surrender himself at a jail in Fulton County, Georgia. He has been indicted on charges related to alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.

For weeks, Trump had made it clear that he would not be attending the debate and hinted at the possibility of an alternative appearance. However, he only confirmed his plans for the interview over the weekend.

The former president has justified his decision to skip the debate by pointing to his significant lead in the polls. He has also acknowledged that the other Republicans on the stage are "not dumb people," offering some insight into his thinking. In an interview with Newsmax on August 9, Trump pondered, "What's the upside?"

Furthermore, Trump has stated that he will not sign the Republican National Committee's pledge to support the GOP nominee, which is one of the requirements for qualifying for the debate stage. He has mentioned that there are "three or four" candidates in the race whom he would not support, although he has refrained from naming them.

Despite facing legal challenges, recent polling indicates that Trump's lead continues to grow. A CBS News/YouGov poll conducted this month revealed that 62% of likely Republican primary voters would choose Trump if they were to vote today. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the second choice among voters, falls significantly behind with only 16%. All other candidates in the field have single-digit support.