Trump will SKIP Tucker Carlson’s forum with Republican 2024 candidates in Iowa

Donald Trump is ignoring Tucker Carlson — and the rest of the 2024 GOP field — by choosing to refrain from attending the former Fox News host forum in Iowa this week.

Carlson presides over the GOP’s presidential forum in the first primary state caucus on Friday. But the group, which focused on socially conservative values, unveiled a final lineup without the former president on Tuesday.

Family Leader President and CEO Bob Vander Plaat tweeted, “I learned last night that Donald Trump will NOT be attending our Leadership Summit this Friday. So, our line-up is set.’

Six other candidates out of 15 in the 2024 Republican primary so far will participate in interviews with Carlson.

This includes Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Trump’s ex-Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, biotech millionaire Vivek Ramaswamy, and former Arkansas Governor , Asa Hutchinson.

The participating candidates “will have a visionary one-on-one discussion with Tucker Carlson,” Vander Place provided in his tweet.

The disapproval does not appear to be aimed at Carlson, but more at the organizers of the event.

Carlson has had nothing but praise for Trump during his tenure and beyond.

During his first interview since leaving Fox earlier this year, Carlson praised Trump for “refocusing the Republican Party.”

“I think when we look back at this in 10 years, assuming we’re still here, I think we’re going to see Trump’s rise as the most important thing that’s happened in American politics in 100 years because he’s the Republican Party realigned against the wishes of Republican leaders,” Carlson said earlier this month on Russell Brand’s podcast Stay Free.

Vander Plaat, on the other hand, has been open about his criticism of the former president. He claims that Trump is too fixated on the 2020 election result and has alienated the basis of the abortion issue.

During an interview with NewsNation in May, Iowa’s conservative leader said, “I thought his response to the pro-life issue on CNN town hall with Kaitlan Collins on that was also a disaster.” That’s why I think the door of the Iowa caucus is wide open for people to see who our candidate should be.”

Trump will appear at the Turning Point Action conference in Florida this weekend. Carlson will also be there, but the two will take the stage together and will make separate remarks instead.

While six candidates speak at The Family Leader’s forum, the poll leader won’t make his way into the first-in-the-nation caucus state this week by far.

There are 15 candidates vying for the GOP nomination in 2024 — with Trump and DeSantis way ahead

It is also still unclear whether Trump will participate in the first Republican National Committee (RNC) primary debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 23. The RNC has issued guidelines that in order to get on the podium, candidates must sign a pledge to support the final nominee.

This limitation has led some more longshot candidates to also express skepticism about participating.

In addition, some of Trump’s aides and insiders have shared that Trump believes it is beneath him to appear on stage with candidates that are so far behind him in the polls.

The stricter polling and fundraising qualifications required to reach the debate stage resulted in only five of the 15 candidates so far being able to reach the debate stage in Milwaukee. This includes Trump, DeSantis, Haley, Scott and Ramaswamy.