Trump interview with Tucker Carlson overshadows GOP debate

Aug 24, 2023

Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Brock Koller (Senior Producer), Ian Kennedy (Editor), Ben Burke (Digital Producer)

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Just minutes ahead of the first 2024 Republican presidential debate, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson published a 46-minute interview with former President Donald Trump to social media site X. As of 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 24, the post had over 177 million views, although the number of people who actually watched the interview is likely smaller.

The former president used some of the interview to engage with his Republican primary opponents, calling former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson “nasty” and saying former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is running “solely on the basis of ‘let’s get Trump.” As for Trump’s biggest competition, he described Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as “done-zo.”

As for his opponents across the aisle, Trump appeared to indulge a suggestion from Carlson that Democrats might try to end Trump’s life.

“I’m looking at the trajectory since 2015 when you got into politics for real, and then won,” Carlson said. “It started with protests against you, massive protests, organized protests by the left. And then it moved to impeachment twice, and now indictment. The next stage is violence. Are you worried that they’re going to try and kill you?”

“They’re savage animals. They are people that are sick, really sick,” Trump responded. “I’ve seen what they do, I’ve seen the lengths that they go to.”

Trump also addressed his absence from the debate in the Carlson interview, citing his massive lead in primary polls. A FiveThirtyEight average of national polls had Trump with a nearly 40-point lead over Gov. DeSantis as of Wednesday, Aug. 24.

“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,'” Trump asked. “Should I be doing that?”

The debate and Trump interview came ahead of Trump’s expected surrender to Georgia authorities related to the state’s 2020 election indictment Thursday. Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis, three of the 18 co-defendants in the case, have already turned themselves in.

Tags: 2020 elections, 2024 Elections, Asa Hutchinson, Chris Christie, Donald Trump, Fox News, Jenna Ellis, Ron DeSantis, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Trump investigations, Tucker Carlson

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP — WHO HAD QUALIFIED FOR LAST NIGHT’S REPUBLICAN PRIMARY DEBATE, DID NOT SHOW UP ON THE STAGE DESPITE BEING THE GOP FRONTRUNNER. INSTEAD, HE TOOK PART IN A PRE-TAPED INTERVIEW WITH FORMER FOX NEWS HOST TUCKER CARLSON THAT WAS POSTED TO THE SOCIAL MEDIA SITE X JUST BEFORE THE DEBATE STARTED.

THE INTERVIEW HAS GARNERED MORE THAN 135 MILLION VIEWS AS OF EARLY THIS MORNING. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT X MEASURES EVERY PERSON WHO SAW THE VIDEO IN THEIR TIMELINE, NOT HOW MANY PEOPLE WATCHED IT.

TRUMP HAS SAID DUE TO HIS POLL NUMBERS SHOWING HIM AHEAD OF ALL OTHER CANDIDATES HE DID NOT NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DEBATE.

IN THE 46-MINUTE INTERVIEW, TRUMP WENT INTO FURTHER DETAIL ON HIS REASONING TO SKIP IT.

“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?”

SPEAKING ABOUT THE OTHER CANDIDATES – TRUMP CALLED FORMER ARKANSAS GOVERNOR HUTCHINSON QUOTE “NASTY” AND SAID FORMER NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR CHRISTIE IS RUNNING QUOTE “SOLELY ON THE BASIS OF LET’S GET TRUMP.” HE SAID FLORIDA GOVERNOR DESANTIS IS QUOTE “DONE-ZO.”

TRUMP TOLD CARLSON HE IS DISAPPOINTED IN HIS FORMER VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE AS IT PERTAINS TO WHAT TOOK PLACE ON JAN. 6, 2021, AND NOT SENDING THE ELECTION RESULTS BACK TO THE STATES. PENCE HAS SAID REPEATEDLY HE LACKED ANY AUTHORITY TO DO SO.

WITH THE FIRST DEBATE OVER, THE FOCUS SHIFTS YET AGAIN TO THE FORMER PRESIDENT, AS DONALD TRUMP IS SET TO SURRENDER TO AUTHORITIES IN GEORGIA TODAY ON CHARGES HE ATTEMPTED TO OVERTURN THE RESULTS OF THE 2020 ELECTION IN THE STATE.

TRUMP FACES 13 COUNTS INCLUDING RACKETEERING AND CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT FORGERY AND FALSE STATEMENTS.

FULTON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY FANI WILLIS HAD GIVEN TRUMP AND 18 OTHER CO-DEFENDANTS UNTIL NOON FRIDAY TO TURN THEMSELVES IN.

ON WEDNESDAY, TRUMP’S LAWYER AND THE FORMER MAYOR OF NEW YORK RUDY GIULIANI SURRENDERED. HE WAS BOOKED AND RELEASED WITH HIS BOND SET AT $150,000 –SECOND ONLY TO TRUMP WHOSE BOND IS SET AT $200,000.

ATTORNEYS JENNA ELLIS AND SIDNEY POWELL ALSO TURNED THEMSELVES INTO THE FULTON COUNTY JAIL ON WEDNESDAY.