Trump Points to Dominating Poll Numbers, Fox Bias as Reasons for Skipping Debate

Former President Donald Trump told Tucker Carlson during their interview released moments before Wednesday night’s debate that he did not attend the event because he is dominating the polls and Fox News “isn’t particularly friendly to” him and worked to prop up Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) in his eyes.

At the top of the 46-minute interview on Tucker on Twitter, Carlson asked Trump why he skipped the debate in Milwaukee, WI, prompting the 45th president to point to his poll numbers, which show him dominating the field:

Well, you know, a lot of people have been asking me that and many people said you shouldn’t do them, but you see, the polls have come out, and I’m leading by 50 and 60 points, and you know, some of them are at one and zero and two and I’m saying, “Do I sit there for an hour or two hours, whatever it’s going to be and get harassed by people that shouldn’t even be running for president? Should I be doing that?” And a network that isn’t particularly friendly to me, frankly. You know, they, they were backing Ron DeSanctimonious, like crazy, and now they’ve given up on him. I mean, he’s — it’s a lost cause. It reminded me very much of 2016. You know, in 2016, I went through the same stuff and had to fight them all the way and then they became very friendly after I won or just about when I was winning, but I just felt it would be more appropriate not to do the debate. I don’t think it’s right to do it.

If you’re leading by 50-60 — I have one poll I’m leading by seventy points — and I’m saying, “why am I doing it?” And I’m going to have eight people, ten people, whoever made the debate, I don’t know how many it is, but I’m gonna have all these people screaming at me, shouting questions at me. All of which, I love answering, I love doing, but it doesn’t make sense to do them. So I’ve taken a pass. You probably noticed.

Ep. 19 Debate Night with Donald J Trump pic.twitter.com/ayPfII48CO

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) August 24, 2023

“I did, and I’m grateful that you did,” laughed Carlson, who dominated cable ratings as Fox News primetime host for years. Since his departure, the company has struggled to replicate his show’s performance.