Karl Rove Urges Trump to ‘Show Up’ for GOP Debate: ‘Hasn’t He Said He’s the World’s Greatest Debater?’

Fox News brought in the man with the white board, Karl Rove, a former adviser to former President George W. Bush, to weigh in on the GOP primary and the stable of candidates as the first debate approaches. A big, looming question is whether or not the frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, will show up at all. Rove says he should, but added that “there are dangers.”

America’s Newsroom co-host Bill Hemmer asked Rove point blank if Trump should participate in the debate, which will air on Fox News next Wed., August 23:

Hemmer: Karl, if you were Donald Trump, would you show up at that debate in Milwaukee next Wednesday?

Rove: I would, even though there’s you know, look, there are dangers. I mean, he will be you know, he if he shows up, he will be attacked by everybody in one way, shape or form. Some of them will be hard and direct. You know, [former New Jersey Gov.] Chris Christie. Some of them will be, you know, glancing blows. Some will be trying to move around him. But I’d show up if I were him because this is this is where you get to demonstrate “I am the leader and I will remain the leader.”

If he doesn’t show up, there are going to be people who say to themselves, well, you know, we have to hear, “Didn’t he tell us, didn’t he mock [President] Joe Biden for not debating? And hasn’t he said he’s the world’s greatest debater, and maybe there’s something that he doesn’t, won’t want to talk about,” and doubts will begin to grow. Doubts are growing. We’ve now got, but depending on what poll you look at, a plurality or a majority of Republicans who say that if he’s convicted of something in one of these federal suits, one of these four lawsuits, four indictments, excuse me, they’re not going to vote for him. So he’s got to find ways to assuage those growing concerns. And the best way to do it is to show up on August 23rd and September 27th.

Watch the video above via Fox News.