Fox News’ Tucker Carlson aired new audio Tuesday night showing CNN President Jeff Zucker offering then-candidate Donald Trump debate advice in March 2016 before floating out the idea of a weekly program.
“I have all these proposals for him,” Zucker said in a recorded phone call with Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen. “Like, I want to do a weekly show with him and all this stuff.”
Zucker then went on to ease campaign anxieties over Trump’s upcoming debate performances, giving the candidate unsolicited advice in the process.
“I think the other guys are going to gang up on him tremendously… and I think he’s going to hold his own, as he does every time. He’s never lost a debate. And you know what? He’s good at this… He’s going to do great.”
“How many times do you think Cruz will call him a conman?” Cohen asked Zucker.
“No, Rubio,” Zucker corrected. “A lot.”
“I say 100,” Cohen said.
“So you know what you should do?” Zucker replied. “Whoever’s around him today should just be calling him a conman all day, so he’s used to it, so that when he hears it from Rubio, it doesn’t matter.”
As it turns out, @CNN's Jeff Zucker is a big fan of President Trump.
Here is the full segment from Tucker. pic.twitter.com/1Bl9yYxCBf
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 9, 2020
Throughout the conversation, Zucker also re-affirmed his respect for Trump, declaring his fondness for “the boss.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to talk to [Trump] every day. I’ve just got to be careful, because, I’ve just got to be careful … I just don’t want him talking about it on the campaign trail … But you know what? I’m going to give him a call right now and I’m going to wish him luck in the debate tonight.”
