Instead of attending the first Republican primary debate tonight, airing on Fox News, former President Donald Trump decided he’d rather engage in a sit-down interview with former Fox host Tucker Carlson.
The interview was released on Wednesday night to coincide with the first Republican debate airing on Fox News. The debate can be watched live here.
Here are details on Tucker’s Trump interview including when it will air, how to watch, and when you can view the full video online.
Trump Interview With Tucker Carlson
When: Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Time: 8:55 pm ET
Full Video: Watch Below
Full Video – Trump Interview With Tucker Carlson (Aug. 23)
You can watch the full debate night interview via YouTube below:
Alternate Video Link: X/TuckerCarlson
While Trump easily qualified for the first Republican debate, taking place in Milwaukee, he decided not to participate given his expansive polling lead. Citing his widespread support, Trump decided to record the interview with Tucker instead to serve as counter-programming to the debate, according to CNN:
Former President Donald Trump has already taped an interview with Tucker Carlson that is expected to be used as counterprogramming for the first GOP primary debate Wednesday, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
Trump confirmed Sunday he will not participate in the debate in Milwaukee. Stating that the public already “knows who I am,” Trump wrote on his social media platform: “I will therefore not be doing the debates!”
It is unclear what platform the interview with Carlson will be published on. The sources said that it would be released around the time of the debate Wednesday night.
For weeks, the former president had privately and publicly floated skipping Wednesday’s debate, given his lead in the polls. He is expected to spend Wednesday evening at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
History has yet to be written whether Trump’s decision to duck the debate will end up being good or bad. What the former president doesn’t want to do, it seems, is to simply become a punching bag for the rest of the field sitting in single digits hoping to have a breakout night. There is an argument to be made both ways but by sitting for an interview with Tucker, the narrative will be more controlled in Trump’s favor and he appears to be above the fray of the primary debate.
From various reports, Fox News spent quite a bit of time both on-air and off trying to convince Trump to participate in the first debate, a move of desperation to avoid a ratings bomb. There is no doubt Fox will lose viewers tonight due to Trump’s absence from the stage. With constant reports, however, that Fox head Ruper Murdoch has taken a firm stance against Trump as the 2024 GOP nominee, can the former president expect a fair shot on the debate stage?
The first GOP debate is airing at 9 pm ET with Trump’s Tucker interview expected to drop around the same time.
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