Former US President Donald Trump has reportedly decided to drop out of next week’s Republican primary. Instead, he plans to participate in an online interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. The New York Times reported the development, citing people briefed on the situation. 

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Fox News will host the debate  Wednesday night in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Interestingly, Carlson, formerly associated with Fox News, has since left to start his own media company. It’s worth noting that Trump has expressed displeasure with Fox News for its recent coverage.

So far, the Trump campaign has not received an immediate response on the matter. Representatives for Fox News, the Republican National Committee, and Tucker Carlson were also not immediately available for comment. 

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Meanwhile, other candidates for the Republican presidential nomination before the 2024 election are expected to gather for a debate to advance their candidacy. Notably, Trump has a looming August 25 deadline to voluntarily appear in Fulton County, Georgia, after he was indicted on a fourth felony charge earlier this week.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis indicted Trump and 18 associates, alleging a scheme to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. 

Most Republicans polled in June said they believe the allegations against Trump so far have been politically motivated. Despite these legal challenges, Trump holds a prominent position in the polls of the party’s candidates. Many Republicans still view Trump’s accusations as politically motivated, especially given his leading position in candidate polls.

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In addition to the ongoing lawsuits mentioned earlier, Trump is also grappling with two federal charges related to his presidency. One charge relates to his handling of classified documents after he left office in January 2021, while the other relates to his alleged involvement in efforts to change the results of the 2020 election.