Donald Trump attacks rivals in online interview while skipping presidential debate

The interview was posted online five minutes before the debate between eight candidates aired on Fox News

Republican presidential candidates stand at their podiums during a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by FOX News Channel (Morry Gash, AP)

Donald Trump dismissed his Republican rivals for the US presidency as they went head to head in the first debate on Wednesday.

The former president, the early frontrunner to secure the party’s nomination, skipped the first presidential debate in Milwaukee, opting for a pre-recorded interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson on X, the website formerly known as Twitter.