Report: Tucker Carlson In Discussions With Trump About Hosting ‘Alternate’ GOP Debate, Potentially Screwing Fox

Tucker Carlson is reportedly interested in hosting an alternate GOP presidential primary debate and has been in discussions with Donald Trump over the matter.
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Tucker Carlson is reportedly interested in hosting an alternate GOP presidential primary debate and has been discussing the matter with Donald Trump.

The Washington Post reports that Carlson is seeking some sway in the 2024 election news cycle, and hosting a Republican debate would allow him that leverage while still maintaining independence.

In fact, they claim, the most popular personality in media today is willing to forgo millions of dollars owed to him in his Fox News contract just to have that opportunity.

Carlson, the Post writes, “wants to moderate his own GOP candidate forum, outside of the usual strictures of the Republican National Committee debate system.”

They describe the effort as “ambitious” and his “grandest plan.”

RELATED: Media Matters ‘Bombshell’ Video of Tucker Carlson Shows Him Hilariously Telling Them to ‘Go F*** Yourself’

Are Tucker Carlson and Trump About to Screw Fox News on the Debates?

What makes the story particularly enamoring is that Tucker Carlson seems poised to stick it to Fox News in regard to the debates.

How? Because former President Donald Trump has already hinted that he’d avoid appearing in at least one of the first two debates because he’s “up by too many points” over his nearest competitor, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

In fact, Trump is beating DeSantis by a larger margin than President Biden is beating his top challenger, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

And who is hosting the first Republican presidential primary debate in Milwaukee this August? Fox News.

What would be a bigger ‘eff you’ to your former employer than hosting a debate with the GOP frontrunner and scoring far more viewers because of it?

The idea of Carlson hosting an alternate debate, the Washington Post writes, “would test his vaunted sway over conservative politics.”

“And it would take a jab at his former employer … if he can manage to make his grandest plan happen.”

Carlson is reportedly seeking to “loosen the Republican National Committee’s grip on the (debate) process” and to “challenge the role traditionally played by the major television networks.”

RELATED: Fox News’ Murdochs Held Secret Phone Call With Zelensky Weeks Before Fox News Fired Tucker Carlson

Will Fox News Let it Happen?

A plan to host an alternate debate has apparently already proceeded to the discussion phase, with Tucker Carlson having spoken about the matter with Trump.

The Post notes that the former Fox News star has “talked to Trump about a candidate forum” and that the leading candidate for the Republican nomination is “interested.”

Trump recently posted a screenshot of former advisor Steve Bannon suggesting he should “not agree to participate in any” primary debates.

A forum hosted by Carlon, outside the Fox News media bubble and the grip of the RNC, has to be thoroughly intriguing, however.

There is a major sticking point as to whether or not Carlson could pull this off – his remaining contract with Fox.

“Carlson and his team have discussed the possibility of moderating a candidate forum outside of the traditional protocols surrounding the GOP primary debate system,” the Post writes, citing two sources familiar with the matter.

“These people said the setup — as well as Carlson’s availability to take on that kind of role, given the noncompete constraints of his contract with Fox — remain unclear.”

Carlson’s contract status could very well limit his options until his deal with the network runs out at the end of 2024.

But his enthusiasm for getting back in the game includes forfeiting millions of dollars to get out of the contract.

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“He is willing to walk away from some of the millions that Fox is contractually obligated to pay him, if that would give him the flexibility to have a prominent voice in the 2024 election cycle,” according to the Post.

If the stars align, which debate would you rather see?

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Rusty Weiss has been covering politics for over 15 years. His writings have appeared in the Daily Caller, Fox... More about Rusty Weiss

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