Fox News stars are practically begging former President Donald Trump to appear at the first 2024 Republican presidential primary debate on August 24.
Trump has hinted he’ll skip the Milwaukee, Wisconsin debate because of his large polling lead.
“When you have a big lead, you don’t do it,” Trump said Sunday.
The absence of the 45th president from the debate stage could cost Fox News between two to four million viewers — and the cable news network is pulling out all the stops to get Trump on stage.
“If you’re watching, Donald, come on!” Piers Morgan said in an appearance last week. “Get on that stage and show us what you’re made of. If you want to be president again, you’ve got to come out and face the debate music … You know you want to secretly.”
Fox News anchors John Roberts and Sarah Smith recently both went on-air to encourage Trump to join the upcoming debate as well.
“It’s the democratic process. You want voters to get a look at all the candidates, and if you want to prove that you are the candidate that they should vote for, well, then let’s see how you react to the questions that are being asked,” Roberts said.
Smith “vigorously” agreed with Roberts.
“Certainly an important part of the process for sure,” Smith said.
And on Monday, the co-hosts of Fox News popular “Fox & Friends” took time to beseech Trump to come on the network.
“It would be great to see President Trump and Ron DeSantis and Chris Christie just duke it out,” Fox News star Steve Doocy said. “That’s why they call it a debate … Show up, debate, and shine. This is his big chance.”
“If he thinks he’s going to get the nomination, the best thing to do is to go into training” to prepare for debates with President Joe Biden, co-host Brian Kilmeade said. “So, I would take the reps as much as possible.”
But it’s not just Fox News pitching Trump to appear on the stage.
According to The Washington Post —
Despite the public pleadings of Fox News personalities, it’s the Republican National Committee that has been most active in lobbying him to attend. Trump met on Monday at his Bedminster club with Ronna McDaniel, the Republican Party chairwoman, and David Bossie, a longtime Trump adviser who is helping lead the RNC’s debate efforts. Both told Trump that he should participate in the debates, according to four people familiar with the meeting. McDaniel, in particular, has argued to Trump that the other candidates will be talking about him, so he should be there to respond. But Trump has countered that his participation would only help his competitors by bringing higher ratings to a debate that would get lower ratings without him.
Trump last appeared on Fox News last week in an interview with primetime star Sean Hannity.
He previously skipped a Fox News debate during the 2015 primary race amid a feud with then-Fox News star Megyn Kelly.
The Horn editorial team