In a pretaped interview designed to undercut the primary Republican presidential major debate, fired former Fox Information host Tucker Carlson gave former President Donald Trump a platform to specific himself with out being challenged. Trump opted to skip the controversy, the place the GOP frontrunner would have taken blows from his rivals.
Earlier than the 46-minute interview started, Trump wrote on his social media website that “SPARKS WILL FLY.” As a substitute, Carlson marched in lock-step with Trump all through the majority of the interview.
Softball questions
Tucker Carlson one-on-one interview with Donald Trump on Wednesday evening. (through X)
Carlson didn’t contact on the substance of the 91 felonies Trump is accused of getting dedicated within the 4 felony trials that would happen in the course of the presidential election. However he did supply: “How do you get indicted each week and keep cheerful?”
As regards to who Trump may run in opposition to if Biden have been to drop out of the race, Carlson ventured, “I’m . So that you assume he’s failing. It’s apparent he’s failing. I believe it’s clear to all people. However that may make Kamala Harris the candidate?”
“Nicely, probably not,” Trump responded earlier than speculating at size and reflecting that Harris “has some dangerous moments.”
An eye fixed on revenge
Republican presidential candidate and former Vice President Mike Pence talking on Saturday. (Rogelio V. Solis/AP)
Whereas Carlson boasted that his interview with Trump would seemingly have extra viewers than the GOP debate on the community fired in April, he additionally made certain to encourage some rating settling with those that have criticized the previous president. That checklist included Republican presidential candidates Asa Hutchinson, Chris Christie and Mike Pence, who Trump singled out for not going alongside along with his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
“I used to be very dissatisfied in him,” Trump stated of his former operating mate.
Additionally singled out for scorn have been Trump’s former Legal professional Basic William Barr, Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell and former Fox Information anchor Chris Wallace.
‘Not a conspiracy particular person in any respect’
Financier and intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in jail in 2019. (New York State Intercourse Offender Registry through AP)
Although Carlson asserted that he was “not a conspiracy particular person in any respect,” he requested Trump whether or not he believed his former good friend Jeffrey Epstein had been killed in jail and whether or not Barr might need had one thing to do with it or helped cowl up the homicide. In maybe probably the most newsworthy second of the interview, Trump responded that he believed Epstein had “in all probability dedicated suicide.”
At two completely different factors within the interview, Carlson requested Trump whether or not he was apprehensive that his political opponents have been “going to attempt to kill you?”
“They’re savage animals,” Trump responded. “They’re folks which are sick.”