Fox’s MacCallum: ‘Incumbent’ upon GOP candidates to address Trump indictments at debate

Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum, in an interview published Wednesday, said it will “absolutely be incumbent” on Republican presidential candidates during the first primary debate to address the criminal charges former President Trump faces.

“It will absolutely be incumbent upon them to address [Trump’s criminal charges],” MacCallum told “Vanity Fair.”

“Voters need to hear how they see it, and the option that they’re trying to provide. It’s very tricky territory for these candidates. They know that well,” she added. “It’s kind of a minefield.”

MacCallum, who will co-moderate the first GOP primary debate along with anchor Bret Baier on Aug. 23, said she viewed the first debate as an “important starting point” for candidates to distinguish themselves from the former president, who is by far the leading candidate in hypothetical 2024 polls among likely GOP voters. 

“He’s sort of sucking all the oxygen out of the room,” MacCallum said of Trump. “This is a very high-stakes moment for them, and not everybody will really survive the process deeper than perhaps Iowa.”

The Republican National Committee (RNC) set thresholds for candidates to meet to be eligible for a spot on the debate stage, and, so far, eight have qualified: Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. 

Trump has signaled he is not inclined to join the debate stage next week — though he has yet to make a final decision. As the current GOP front-runner, Trump said he sees no reason to risk the commanding lead. He also has a tense relationship with Fox News, which is hosting the debate.

Candidates are also required to sign a loyalty page ahead of the debate, promising to support the ultimate GOP candidate. Trump has said he would not sign the pledge.

MacCallum said she thinks candidates will need to find a way to differentiate themselves from Trump on the debate stage, saying, “The goal at this moment is for them to get through Trump.” 

“They have to define themselves in a way that makes them stand out with voters and also contrast themselves to the alternative, which is the former president,” she added. “So it’s very tricky — he has a lot of support out there, we see that in the numbers.”

On issues that will likely come up in questions, MacCallum said she doesn’t expect cultural issues to be a main focus.

While they “will certainly come up on the debate stage,” she said, “when you look at what people care about, it’s not high on the list.”

MacCallum did note, however, that voters care about abortion, foreign policy and the economy. 

On whether Trump shows up for the debate, she said, “Certainly we would like for him to be there … and I think that the American people deserve an opportunity to watch the former president against the people who are his contenders.”

“Yes, at this moment, most of them are far behind him in the polls. But that’s just a moment in time, and that can change if he is not there,” she added.