Former President Donald Trump conducted a pre-recorded interview with Tucker Carlson instead of participating in the first GOP debate. In the interview, Trump aimed to downplay the threat posed by his Republican rivals for the 2024 nomination and portray President Joe Biden as unfit for office. Trump justified his decision to skip the debate by emphasizing his standing in the polls and questioning the treatment he would receive from the debate moderators. He also dismissed the criminal charges he currently faces in four separate cases, labeling them as “trivia nonsense” and “bullshit.”
Trump continued to perpetuate his unfounded allegations of election fraud, claiming that his political opponents would attempt to steal the election in 2024. He specifically targeted Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, his perceived chief rival for the GOP nomination, calling him “gonezo.” However, Trump focused only briefly on DeSantis during the 46-minute interview. Moreover, he repeated the false claim that former Vice President Mike Pence had the power to alter the outcome of the 2020 election.
During the interview, Carlson asked Trump if he believed the country was heading towards civil war. Trump responded with a pause, eventually stating that there was “tremendous passion and love” among his supporters. He defended those who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, asserting that there was “love and unity” in the crowd. Trump claimed to have witnessed unprecedented spirit and passion from his supporters, juxtaposed with their strong hatred for what they perceived as harm inflicted upon the country.