Trump SNUBS GOP debate for Tucker interview, but was it the right move?

The debate stage was full of Republican presidential hopefuls this week, but there was one major name missing.

Rather than debate his fellow candidates, former President Donald Trump decided to participate in an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson on his show, which was broadcast on X.

The Republican debates attracted a little over 11 million viewers on Fox News, while the interview between Trump and Tucker garnered more than 230 million.

While the interview had an incredibly high viewership in comparison to the debate Trump snubbed, many found the discussion to be less a hard-hitting interview and more a conversation between friends.

“This was just kind of a bro conversation, it felt like at times, so I’m not sure how much it accomplished for the American people who want to hear from the president on what he will do moving forward,” Sara Gonzales says.

In the interview with Tucker, Trump gave his reasoning for not showing up on the debate stage.

“In 2016, I went through the same stuff. Then 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,” he told Tucker.

Trump went on to say that he felt it was wrong to debate while leading by 50, 60, or 70 points in the polls and have everyone focus their questions and vitriol at him.

“I’m gonna have all these people screaming every shot, any 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,” he said.

Jason Buttrill thinks this is the right move.

“If I’m advising Donald Trump, I’m like, continue to cast the rest of them as establishment, which they did on their own, let them be the establishment, and let them clearly separate themselves from you,” Buttrill tells a skeptical Gonzales.

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