Trump advisers said the interview had already been recorded. It is not yet clear where the interview will appear. Carlson has started a show on X, formerly called Twitter, but Trump sees the platform as a rival to Truth Social, which he helped create.

Trump's plans were first reported by the New York Times. "We cannot confirm or deny — stay tuned." his campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, told The Washington Post on Saturday.

A person close to Carlson said that an online airing of a taped interview with Trump is the likely plan.

On Sunday afternoon, Trump confirmed on Truth Social that he didn't plan to attend the debate on Wednesday and implied he would skip future ones. "The public knows who I am," he wrote.