Bill Kristol joined David Gergen and Katrina Pierson on CNN Tuesday night to react to Donald Trump’s announcement he will not participate in Thursday’s debate in Iowa. Host Erin Burnett suggested many Republican primary voters might look favorably on Trump’s decision, which would show he is “calling the shots.” The boss disagreed.
“I don’t think he’s calling the shots,” he said. “He’s chickening out of the debate.”
Thursday’s debate, which occurs just four days before Iowa Republicans caucus, will air on Fox News and include as a moderator Megyn Kelly, whom Trump has long feuded with on and off the debate stage. The New York businessman said Tuesday evening he would not go to the debate after a press release from Fox responding to his threat not to participate mocked him. Kristol conceded the press release might have been “silly” but disagreed with the idea that Trump is right to back out of the debate over it.
“Look, this debate is for the voters of Iowa,” Kristol said. “It’s the debate in Des Moines. The caucus is Monday night. What’s the rationale for not letting the voters take a look at all the candidates on stage, including you, if you’re Donald Trump, because Rogers Ailes put out a statement that Trump thinks, and maybe other people think, and maybe I even think, maybe he probably shouldn’t have bothered to put it out. But really? He’s so offended that he can’t possibly show up there on stage?”
Watch the video below:
