Fox News execs pressed Trump on joining first GOP debate during dinner after latest indictment

Former President Donald Trump reportedly had a private dinner with the top executives at Fox News, who tried to persuade him to participate in the first Republican primary debate this month – just hours after the former president faced his third indictment.

The New York Times reported on the dinner, which was attended by the former president, Fox News president Jay Wallace, and CEO Suzanne Scott. Sean Hannity, who hosted a town hall with Mr Trump last month, was also invited to join, but in the end couldn’t make it, as he had to host his 9pm show at the time of the dinner, the newspaper added.

The meeting transpired in a private dining room at Mr. Trump’s Bedminster golf club, the Times reported.

The two-hour dinner – which was requested by the Fox team, according to the Times – was arranged before the indictment news broke, however, according to the publication.

The leadership team pressed the former president to attend the debate, telling Mr Trump that he has a great stage presence, and that the debate would give him an opportunity to show that, and his debate skills, off, according to the outlet.

Mr Trump allegedly responded saying that he had not yet made a decision and would remain open-minded.

A spokesperson for Mr Trump declined to comment on the dinner, telling the Times: “I won’t discuss a private meeting.” The Independent has reached out to Fox News for comment.

Mr Trump, who is the current 2024 GOP frontrunner despite the three indictments against him, has repeatedly suggested that he won’t participate in the first primary debate for just that reason.

“Ronald Reagan didn’t do it. A lot of people didn’t do it. When you have a big lead, you don’t do it,” he said on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures last month.

The former president added, “Why would you be doing a debate? It’s actually not fair. Why would you let someone that’s [polling] at zero, or one, or two, or three, you know, be popping you with questions.”

On Tuesday, the same day that Mr Trump was indicted in the January 6 probe related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election, he denounced the network on Truth Social: “Why does FoxNews keep featuring ‘losers’ like failed Presidential candidates ‘Aida’ Hutchinson, Crybaby Chris Sununu, who was ready to ‘run’ when he realized he was polling at ZERO, and Sloppy Chris Christie? Doesn’t make sense, nobody wants to watch them!”

He also wrote, “MAGA, which is most of the Republican Party, is very angry at FoxNews for continuing to push Ron DeSanctimonious, no personality and all, and guys like Chris Sununu…These guys should forget their failures!”

Despite his online attacks on the network, the dinner between Mr Trump and the Fox News leadership was “cordial,” according to the Times.

Mr Trump was federally charged with four criminal counts on Tuesday, making it his third criminal indictment, his second federal indictment, and his first for his alleged conduct while in office as president.

He was charged with three conspiracies – one to defraud the United States, another to obstruct an official government proceeding, and a third to deprive people of a civil right – as well as a count of obstructing or attempting to obstruct an official proceeding.

Mr Trump dismissed the indictment as an example of “unprecedented political targeting” from the “weaponized Department of Justice” and has vowed to continue running for office – even if it is from a jail cell.