Fox’s Kilmeade presses GOP party chief on Trump skipping debates

by Natalie Prieb - 04/26/23 9:49 AM ET

Fox News host Brian Kilmeade pressed Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Wednesday about former President Trump’s comments that he is considering not participating in 2024 primary debates.

When asked about Trump’s remarks on skipping debates with “hostile networks,” McDaniel said the RNC has “talked to all the potential candidates” and communicated with them about the debate schedule, the first of which will be hosted by Fox in Milwaukee later this year.

“Every campaign and every candidate is going to have to make a decision, ‘Do I want to participate?'” McDaniel said on “Fox & Friends.” “He’s going to have to make that decision.”

“I think he’ll do it. President Trump never shies away from a debate,” she added.

Kilmeade interrupted McDaniel, however, countering her claims with “yes, he does.”

“He skipped ours in 2016,” Kilmeade added, referencing Trump’s absence at two Fox debates in January and March of 2016.

“He did. He skipped one, but you know he was on the center of the debate stage in 2016 and he never left it, so we’ll see what happens,” McDaniel responded.

In addition to Trump’s criticism of the cable networks hosting debates, he has also expressed frustration that the second scheduled GOP debate is set to be held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California. Fred Ryan, publisher of The Washington Post, is chairman of the board of trustees at the Reagan library.

Kilmeade also asked the chairwoman on Wednesday about the RNC’s new ad that was created using artificial intelligence (AI) and was rolled out Tuesday in response to President Biden officially announcing that he will run for reelection in 2024.

“It is AI-generated, so we’re sharing that up front ethically, so it’s not a deep-fake,” McDaniel said. “But we are painting a picture of a future Biden America.”

Although the RNC has not presented the criteria for participating in this summer’s GOP primary debates, McDaniel has said those who wish to participate will have to pledge to support the eventual nominee — something Trump did not do during the 2016 primary.