Former US President Donald Trump lashed out at Fox News, rival candidate Chris Christie and his former Attorney General Bill Barr during an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson which was meant to compete with the first Republican presidential debate which Trump chose to skip.
The 46-minute interview, which appeared Carlson’s Twitter account, was pre-taped at Trump’s Bedminster, N.J., property, and posted just before the debate was scheduled to begin.
The former President criticized Biden, saying, "I don't think he's going to make it to the gate. But you know, you never know."
Trump also went after the president's physical demeanor and said, "He can’t lift his feet out of the grass, you know, it’s only two inches at the White House, right? That’s not a lot. But you watch him and it looks like he’s walking on toothpicks. And then you see him on the beach where he can’t lift a chair."
On Christie, who has largely focused on attacking the former President as unfit to serve another term, Trump said, “He runs solely on the basis of ‘Let’s get Trump.’ He’s like a savage maniac. He’s like a lunatic. And that’s all he talks about. His poll numbers are very, very low.”
Trump added that while the two were “friendly” over the years, he thinks Christie likely feels “betrayed” because he didn’t get an administration job.
Trump also attacked former Attorney General William Barr over his refusal to indulge Trump’s claims of election fraud in 2020.
“Bill Barr didn’t do an investigation on the election fraud either. He said he did and he pretended he did,” Trump said, claiming Barr was “petrified” of being impeached by the House, which at the time was controlled by Democrats.
When asked by Carlson if he could be an assassination target, the former President called his enemies "savage animals".
"They are savage animals. They are people that are sick," said Trump, who added he believes his adversaries stole the 2020 election from him and they will likely try again.
"They will try [to steal the 2024 election]. They're going to be trying," he said. "Mitch McConnell is trying to get senators to impeach me."
On the issue of skipping the debate, Trump argued he would probably get better ratings and exposure with an independently interview than he would by attending the debate in Milwaukee.
"A lot of people are asking me [about skipping the debate," he said. "We will get better ratings using this crazy forum that you are using than probably the debate."
The former President blasted Fox for taking Carlson off the air in April, saying it was a mistake by the network.
“I think it was a terrible move getting rid of you. You’re No. 1 on television,” Trump told Carlson.