Trump Plans to Skip G.O.P. Debate for Interview With Tucker Carlson
Trump Plans to Skip G.O.P. Debate for Interview With Tucker Carlson
The former president’s apparent decision to skip the first debate is a major affront both to the Republican National Committee and to Fox News, which is hosting the event.
The former president’s apparent decision to skip the first debate is a major affront both to the Republican National Committee and to Fox News, which is hosting the event.
I thought he was the best debater? What's he afraid of?
I think it's a power move. The GOP is nothing without his base. He's forcing that point. Viewer numbers are what feeds his ego.
Exactly. Why go and share a stage with a bunch of people who are trailing him so much in the polls when he can go sit down with Tucker Carlson and get all the attention.
He's a Master Debater
Mike Pence. The dude should just crack him. He’d go up in the polls.
I thought Tucker hated him passionately?
He doesn't hate him as much as he loves views though
Yea but he loves money more
Really Trump's best move is just to assume he's the nominee and act like it's foolish for the GOP to even have a primary.
a strategically correct move in his case honestly
GOP is trump’s bitch at this point
Wait. Tucker? I thought he’d been deplatformed.
The article only has one line about this, noting that what platform this interview would take place on is unclear. I just checked and it looks like he's continued to do a show on Twitter despite Fox News sending him a cease-and-desist letter, so presumably it would be there.
The media will chop up the interview no one watched and play pieces of it ad nauseum on air and online.
Weird, I thought Trump was going to use the distraction of the debate to flee the country.
He can't flee the country. He literally has 24 hour secret service protection that will stop him if he tries to board a plane because they are state employees and not employed by trump.
I don't have your confidence that the secret service would side with the United States over Trump.
Their conduct has been less than exemplary lately.
I wouldn't show up to any debates either if I was him. Why would I I have a motherfuckin CULT that will die for me. All I gotta do is tweet "kill em all my peeps" and it's over.
Wouldn't even dignify these pretenders with my presence.
Honestly I'm curious as to why he hasn't given the "fire at will" order yet. I would have Jan 6. Other billionaires holding him back?
they're both circling the bowl.. together..
Haha I love this
Ronna McDaniel's prayers have been answered. Now they don't have to fret over banning Trump for not signing the GOP Loyalty pledge.
Which again shows what a coward he is. He already said that he won't honor the pledge of a GOP candidate that he would support the primary winner regardless of who it is.
If the GOP was honest and true, they would have to stop supporting Trump.
He's not being cowardly, he's running the circus and rubbing it in the party's face. Trump stole the GOP base out from under the party and the party leadership can't do anything about it.
I think he's both being a coward and running the circus.
As for the debates, why should he?
I mean, the guy certainly doesn't care for democracy or informing the populous about his utter lack of policies, and with a >30% lead in the Republican primary polls he has everything to lose while the other candidates can only gain. Trump and his people know that there's no upside in it for him to debate, especially since he's fucking terrible at it, and his cult of followers probably won't care if he doesn't show up anyway.
This is just pragmatic. He gains nothing by being in the debate. The only reason he would be in it was if he was interested in the democratic process and societal norms.
Gotta try to boost the ratings for the mouthpiece that helped boost you up and covered your ass last time around, eh? And keep yourself from facing direct criticism or being forced to sign that annoying "support the nominee" pledge - or letting tv cameras you don't control show the nation see how fat, sallow, and stressed you look, or hearing the dementia-and-pill addled word salad come out of your mouth.
I wouldn't be surprised if they pre-recorded it, either.
Let them fight.
There's a reference there, but I didn't feel like looking up the gif.
It’s Godzilla
It might ruffle some feathers at the RNC that he is treating their debate invite like he treats a Congressional subpoena.
What a coward.
If he doesn't have to go since he's so far ahead, this seems like a smart move.
I thought he'd turn himself in in Georgia during the debate to keep the spotlight on him.