Former President Trump expected to skip debate and do interview with Tucker Carlson instead

(CNN) — Former President Donald Trump is planning to skip the first Republican presidential debate on Wednesday and is instead expected to sit for an interview with former Fox News Host Tucker Carlson, multiple sources familiar with his plans tell CNN.

Over the last 24 hours, the former president has increasingly been informing those close to him that he has made his decision, and will not be on the debate stage next week.

The timing for the Carlson interview has yet to be determined, the sources said, but it is expected to air around the same time as the debate. The New York Times first reported the details of the Carlson interview.

CNN previously reported that Mr. Trump was not expected to participate in the debate and that his campaign had engaged in conversations with Carlson about a potential interview as counterprogramming for the event.

The former president’s advisers continue to add the caveat, however, that the former president could ultimately change his mind and decide at the 11th hour that he wants to attend the debate.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

The-CNN-Wire
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