As it becomes increasingly likely that Donald Trump will skip the first Republican presidential debate next month, the ratings-obsessed ex-president is thinking about counterprogramming the Fox News event by appearing on Tucker Carlson’s Twitter show at the same time, Vanity Fair reported on Wednesday. Carlson, who was fired by Fox in April, is looking to soon launch a right-wing media company with his streaming show as its backbone. Securing Trump for a sitdown on the same night as his former network’s debate could help woo would-be investors to his new venture, which has already secured a seven-figure ad deal. As for Trump, rather than face tough questions from debate moderators Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier about his myriad legal issues, he would likely find a safe space on Carlson’s show. This could also once again force Fox News to confront Carlson, who is still under contract with the network until early 2025. Last month, the conservative cable giant issued Carlson a cease and desist letter claiming his Twitter show was in breach of contract, a warning the ex-Fox star has ignored.