Fox News Channel anchor Bret Baier told a Washington, D.C. radio station on Friday that Fox has been talking with Sen. Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump’s campaigns about hosting a presidential debate before California’s primary in June.
Baier said that while details are still being worked out, “some event will happen before the [California] primary,” likely either a debate or a town hall.
“We’ve been talking for the past couple days with the Sanders campaign and the Trump campaign about a possible debate before the June 7 California primary,” Baier told WMAL. “Those things are progressing, believe it or not. Both campaigns are expressing real interest, and it’s not a joke, and it’s happening, and some event will happen before the primary. We’re kinda working out the details, so we’ll see if we have something to announce.”
“There’s either going to be this full-blown debate, which we’re trying to get across the finish line, or there may be a town hall. But I think the debate is still very much a possibility,” he told WMAL.
Baier suggested the debate could be win-win for both the candidates, and said that Hillary Clinton has also been invited.
“The case being, for both of them, it’s upside. The person who is not there … is Hillary Clinton. One would assume that that is going to be some of the focus of their talking points up on the stage,” he said. “I think they both look at it as an opportunity, not a problem.”
Following his appearance on WMAL, Baier tweeted out a clarification that negotiations are “definitely” underway, but suggested the specifics are not quite settled.
To be clear. I said negotiations were definitively happening & we were planning to hold some event in CA-either way https://t.co/tMjswm9Eo9
— Bret Baier (@BretBaier) May 27, 2016
Appearing on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Wednesday, Trump said he would be game for a debate with Sanders.
“He wants to know if you will debate him,” Kimmel said to Trump.
“Yes, I am. How much will he pay me?” Trump responded.
Trump doubled down on the debate discussion while in Bismarck, N.D.
“I’d love to debate Bernie. He’s a dream,” he said. “If we can raise for maybe women’s health issues or something. If we can raise $10 or $15 million for charity, which would be a very appropriate amount.”
Sanders thanked Kimmel Thursday night for “making the debate possible.”
“You made it made it possible for us to have a very interesting debate about two guys who look at the world very very differently,” Sanders said to Kimmel.
Kimmel quipped, “Oh boy, do you look at things very differently.”