More reasons Trump-Sanders debate might blow up politics as we know it
Fox News host Bret Baier confirmed Friday that talks are under way about a possible extracurricular political mano-a-mano that would cap an anti-establishment primary season.
In this photo provided by ABC, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump talks with host Jimmy Kimmel (right) on the ABC television show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!,鈥� on May 25. Trump opened the door to a possible debate against Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders.
Randy Holmes/ABC via AP
Washington
It鈥檚 still possible Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump are actually going to debate. Fox News is talking with both the Sanders and Trump camps and hopes to get a deal for a joint appearance prior to the June 7 California primary.
鈥淭hose things are progressing believe it or not鈥�. Some event will happen before the primary, we鈥檙e kind of working out the details,鈥� Fox anchor Bret Baier said Friday during on WMAL radio鈥檚 Brian Wilson.
It鈥檚 possible the show will be more of a dual town hall than an actual debate, Mr. Baier added. Asked whether the deal would produce millions of dollars for charity, the Fox host said that was under discussion. Mr. Trump has said that he鈥檇 debate Senator Sanders if it raised $10 million for good works. It remains unclear whether Trump is serious about this or is treating the whole thing as something of a joke.
Sanders is treating it seriously, though. The Democratic presidential candidate has started field-testing questions for his Republican counterpart during his own stump speeches, such as, 鈥淲hy do you think climate change is a hoax?鈥�
He鈥檚 鈥渆xcited鈥� about the possible debate, Sanders told ABC鈥檚 Jimmy Kimmel Thursday night.
鈥淏ut we will see if [Trump] stays with it,鈥� Sanders added.
Mr. Kimmel is kind of the go-between here. He鈥檚 the one who asked Trump on Wednesday if he鈥檇 agree to such an extracurricular political mano-a-mano. That鈥檚 what got this ball of wax rolling downhill.
A talk show host brokering what could be one of the most exciting, if not revealing, encounters in the late 2016 primary campaign? Why not? As we wrote yesterday, a Trump-Sanders showdown would blow up a lot of what we think we know about US politics. Kimmel鈥檚 role would be just another reason why.
Let鈥檚 tick through some others: The political parties are supposed to control debates. This would contravene that. Presumptive nominees aren鈥檛 supposed to diminish their standing by engaging the other side鈥檚 second-place finishers. That鈥檚 what this debate would be. Losers are supposed to fade away gracefully. Yes, Sanders has almost certainly lost 鈥� but 鈥渇ade away鈥� isn鈥檛 happening.
A Sanders-Trump debate might be the logical endpoint for a strongly anti-establishment primary season. It鈥檚 politics as entertainment 鈥� or entertainment as politics, which isn鈥檛 quite the same thing. We think.
鈥淭his is where we are now. The serious bumping right up to the comedic, almost every day 鈥� and late night 鈥� leaving some entertained, but perhaps even more of us confused,鈥� NPR鈥檚 Sam Sanders.