Plus Pages

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

No Show Trump Means More Oxygen for Other Candidates


Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum says former President Trump’s decision to skip the first Republican primary debate this week could present an opportunity for candidates to focus more on issues that are top of mind for voters. 

“I think it’s kind of a golden opportunity for them,” MacCallum told The Hill during an interview Tuesday. “For all of them, I just think they’re going to get a little more room to breathe. I think there’s going to be a lot of focus on the issues that people care about, because that is the number one thing that we hear from everyone we speak with, is that they are just so hungry to move the conversation off of everything that’s been happening in the past and some of what’s been on [Trump’s] plate and hear about what matters to them.” 

MacCallum, who is co-moderating Wednesday night’s debate for Fox in Milwaukee, said she expects the rest of the GOP candidates on the stage to pounce on the void left by Trump as they work to differentiate themselves from both the former president, the race’s front-runner, and one another. 

“We’ll be asking them some pretty challenging questions,” she said. “So, we’ll see who is on their game and who’s not.” 

MacCallum did not share any specifics about what questions the candidates will be asked but listed issues relating to the economy as a major point of emphasis for both Fox viewers specifically and GOP primary voters more generally.

No comments:

Post a Comment