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Fox News plans to show video clips of Donald Trump during questions to the other candidates during the upcoming GOP presidential primary debate, according to a new report.
Network anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum will moderate the debate on Wednesday in Milwaukee, which Trump told his aides he plans to skip in favor of an online interview with Tucker Carlson, according to the New York Times.
If Trump counterschedules the debate by appearing with Carlson, a former Fox News host now at odds with his former bosses, it would set up an epic battle for viewers in the first major event of the primary season.
In response, Fox’s team is considering incorporating video clips of Trump into their debate questions and preparing to interview other candidates about Trump’s latest indictment in Georgia, according to the Times.
“If he’s not here, he’ll always be here,” Baier said. policy this week, alluding to the network’s strategy for a Trump no-show. “In other words, he will participate in the interrogation.”
“There may be sound bites, there may be elements where ‘that’s what the head of the primary says about it’. He’ll be there, even if he’s not,” a- he added.
Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum will moderate the debate on Wednesday in Milwaukee, which Trump told his aides he plans to skip
If Trump (seen in 2018) counterschedules the debate by appearing with Carlson, a former Fox News host now at odds with his former bosses, it would set up an epic battle for viewers
Moderators said they have prepared questions for Trump if he attends, but his absence will not drastically change the topics they plan to cover.
“For the most part, we talk about topics like buckets of questions,” Baier said. “Buckets wouldn’t change that much whether he was in it or not. Maybe some of the interaction between the contestants would change a bit.
A Fox News spokeswoman declined to comment when contacted by DailyMail.com on Saturday.
Besides Trump, the qualified candidates for the first Republican debate are Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Mike Pence, Chris Christie, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott and Doug Burgum.
Officially, Trump’s debate plans have yet to be confirmed, according to a campaign spokesperson.
The Republican National Committee told Trump he must make a final decision by Monday if he wants a spot on stage.
As Trump dominates the field, probing well above his opponents, some observers warn that a no-show could give his rivals a chance to create a viral moment and gain momentum.
DeSantis, who is far behind in the GOP arena, will look to boost his poll with a strong debate performance
Christie, who runs a largely Trump-bashing campaign, has previously spoken out about the frontrunner’s likely absence from the debate stage
Shortly after learning of his third indictment, Trump dined at his New Jersey golf club with Fox News executives who reportedly suggested DeSantis would steal the show in his absence.
DeSantis, who sits in second place in the GOP field, will look to bolster his poll with a strong debate performance.
However, there are also risks for DeSantis: With Trump gone, DeSantis will be at the center of attacks from the rest of the field, and his ability to successfully parry will be critical.
Meanwhile, Republican strategist and pollster Frank Luntz told DailyMail.com he believes Trump’s legal troubles may be the real reason the former president skipped the debate.
Trump faces four separate criminal cases and has until Friday to travel to Georgia, where he has been charged with an alleged conspiracy to overturn the state’s 2020 election results. He denies any wrongdoing.
“Frankly, I don’t see how he can do a presidential debate. I don’t think his lawyers will let him. He puts himself in serious legal danger every time he speaks, and a debate situation is even worse,’ Luntz said in an email on Saturday.
“Plus, he’s scared of Chris Christie. If Trump is so arrogant that he takes the debate stage, Governor Christie will annihilate him,’ he added.
Christie, who runs a campaign largely based on bashing Trump, has previously spoken out about the frontrunner’s likely absence from the debate stage.
In an article on X, the former New Jersey governor called Trump a “verified loser” and a “verified coward.”
“If he thinks he should be the nominee, if he thinks he has such a good record, if he thinks he’s the best person to take on Joe Biden, then show up Wednesday night and stop. to be a coward,” Christie said. MSNBC Friday.
“If what he was saying was true, that he has this great record as president and he’s so far ahead, why don’t you get on stage and do a tour of honor?”
For months Trump has suggested he would snub the first debate – arguing that he is so far ahead of any of his competitors that a debate is pointless.
“A lot of people ask me whether or not I will do the DEBATES?” he posted to Truth Social Friday. “People know my record, one of the best of all time, so why should I argue?” I AM YOUR MAN. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! »
In the same article, Trump said that “ALL AMERICANS are crying out for a president of extremely high intelligence.”
“As everyone knows, my poll numbers, on a ‘wonderful’ field of Republican candidates, are extraordinary,” he continued.
“In fact, I’m leading whoever’s second by more than 50 points.”
Trump signaled even more definitively that he planned to skip the second debate in California on Sept. 27, over his issues with his host, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.
The library’s high-profile speaker series snubbed Trump but invited critics, including former Rep. Liz Cheney, one of two former GOP lawmakers to serve on the House Select Committee on Jan. 6.