‘If you want to set it up, let’s set it up. Let’s go do something,’ former U.S. president challenges
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Donald Trump may not be willing to debate his fellow Republican primary opponents as he takes another run at the 2024 U.S. presidency, but he is willing to take on one person: Meghan Markle.
“I’d love to debate her. I would love it. I disagree so much with what they’re doing,” Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt this week. “I didn’t like the way she dealt with the queen.”
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The former U.S. president went on to categorize his relationship with the late Queen Elizabeth II as very cordial.
“She was an incredible woman. At 95, she was so sharp. She was 100%. When you watch [President] Biden, you say this is a different planet,” he added.
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The notion of debating Markle came up after Hewitt mentioned the approaching 50h anniversary of Battle of the Sexes tennis match between Billie Jean King bested Bobby Riggs. Hewitt said he thought a debate between Trump, Meghan Markle, and her husband Prince Harry could top that event.
“Oh, if you want to set it up, let’s set it up. Let’s go do something,” Trump replied.
Trump has repeatedly lashed out at Markle over the years. In 2019, Trump called the Duchess of Sussex “nasty” when he was asked about her threat to move to Canada.
The following year, Trump said he was “not a fan” after she and Harry waded into the 2020 U.S. election.
“I’m not a fan of hers,” he said after a reporter asked him about a video in which the couple urged Americans to “reject hate speech”.
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“I would say this — and she probably has heard that — but I wish a lot of luck to Harry,” Trump continued. “Because he’s going need it.”
Chatting with Piers Morgan last year, Trump continued to pile on calling Harry an “embarrassment” to the monarchy.
“I’m not a fan of Meghan,” Trump said. “I’m not a fan and I wasn’t right from the beginning. I think poor Harry is being led around by his nose. And I think he’s an embarrassment. And I think she spoke badly of the Royal Family but in particular the Queen.”
Last month, Trump refused to appear at the first 2024 Republican presidential debate in Wisconsin, citing his large lead and a field of irrelevant candidates.
The Fox News debate averaged 12.8 million views. Trump, meanwhile, sat down with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson for a “blockbuster” chat he claimed was watched by more than 150 million on X.
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“Do I sit there for an hour or two hours, whatever it’s going to be, and get harassed by people that shouldn’t even be running for president?” Trump said in the 46-minute interview. “I’m going to have all these people screaming at me, shouting questions at me, all of which I love answering, I love doing. But it doesn’t make sense to do them, so I’m taking a pass.”
Elsewhere in his conversation with Hewitt, Trump, who is facing four criminal indictments and the series of trials, spoke about the possibility of squaring off against current U.S. President Joe Biden again in 2024.
“Look, anything’s possible, but when I watch, his body is shot, and his mind is worse,” Trump said.
“He seems to want to do it. And I hope he does it. But he seems to want to do it. But you take a look at him, and he’s not running government. People that are surrounding him, who are very smart fascists and communists, those are the people running our country.”
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