Former President Donald Trump will skip the first Republican primary debate next week and will instead sit for an online interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, The New York Times reported on Friday.

Trump has taken a will-he-or-won’t-he approach to the debate for weeks, arguing that his massive polling lead over the rest of the Republican primary field should effectively exempt him from participating in the forum. He had said that he would make a final decision on the debate this week.

Officials with Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to the Miami Herald’s requests for comment.

The first GOP debate is set to take place in Milwaukee next week. So far, at least eight candidates have met the Republican National Committee’s participation criteria, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who’s seen as the most serious challenger to Trump.

Trump’s decision to forego the debate in favor of an interview with Carlson, a conservative commentator and close ally, is a blow to Fox News, which is hosting the first debate.

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