5 Highlights From Trump's Tucker Carlson Sit-Down

Former President Trump was notably absent from Wednesday night's Republican debate, but, as promised, he did appear in a pre-taped interview with Tucker Carlson that was released online at the same time. The Wall Street Journal says Trump aimed squarely at President Biden, rather than his rivals for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, but the Hill notes there was plenty of other lashing out to go around. Highlights of the interview from those outlets as well as the AP and the Guardian:

• "Most inflammatory exchange," per the AP: When Carlson suggested that "the left" might try to have him killed, Trump replied, "They're savage animals. They are people that are sick. Really sick. You have great people in the Democrat Party, you have great people that are Democrats. But I've seen what they do, I've seen the lengths that they go to."

• Digs at Biden: Trump attacked Biden not just on his politics (he accused him of being corrupt and compromised by money he's received from the Chinese) but also quite a bit on his "physicality," per the Journal. He took aim at Biden's stumbles, wondering why he'd allow himself to be photographed on the beach and speculating he might have trouble walking on the sand, and said he looks like he's walking "on toothpicks" while walking on grass. "He can't speak, can't walk, can't talk," said Trump, who also took issue with Biden's verbal stumbles.
• Digs at rivals, Fox: Trump noted he's so far ahead in the polls that he didn't need to appear on the debate stage, asking Carlson, "Do I sit there for an hour or two hours, whatever it's going to be, and get harassed by people that shouldn't even be running for president? Should I be doing that at a network that isn't particularly friendly to me?" He also said Fox News made a "terrible move" dumping Carlson.
• On Chris Christie: "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 also called former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson "nasty." Both Hutchinson and Christie have been critical of Trump, and they alone declined to pledge their support to him on the debate stage in the event he is convicted of a crime and also turns out to be the Republican nominee.
• On the Capitol riot: "There's tremendous passion and there's tremendous love [among Trump supporters]. You know, Jan. 6 was a very interesting day because they don't report it properly. I believe it was the largest crowd I've ever spoken before," Trump said. "I have never seen such spirit, and such passion, and such love, and I've also never seen, simultaneously and from the same people, such hatred of what they've done to our country."

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