President Trump and Tucker Carlson thumbed their noses at the Republican Establishment and FOX News by sitting down for a blockbuster one-on-one interview last night. Their 46-minute conversation debuted on X (the former Twitter) five minutes before the start of the first 2024 Republican presidential debate that aired on FOX News.

In the first hour alone, the Trump-Tucker chat recorded 75 million views. That was far more than last night's audience for the most-watched cable news network. Both men have "an ax to grind" and, some would say, for good reason. Up by more than 40% in key polls, President Trump chose to skip the debate, and Tucker Carlson was fired by FOX News in April.

Click here or on the image below to watch their wide-ranging, insightful and compelling interview now:

Also last night, Grassfire launched our new "Did Trump Win?" QuickPoll. We want to know if you agree with the Trump campaign's claim that "45" had won the first GOP debate without even showing up. If you haven't voted yet, see our previous email below to choose "Yes!" or "No!" now.

If you've already participated in the "Did Trump Win?" QuickPoll, please forward this email to your friends and family members. We want to know what they think, too. Thanks, in advance, for taking action this morning.

Standing for life, liberty and limited government,

The Grassfire Team

Wednesday evening:

The first 2024 GOP presidential debate airs exclusively on FOX News at 9:00 p.m. ET tonight. This afternoon, Grassfire received an email from the Trump campaign that got us thinking. A senior advisor issued a statement claiming victory -- even though "45" has refused to participate tonight. Here's an excerpt:

President Trump has already won this evening's debate because everything is going to be about him. Only President Trump has the policy ideas, the fortitude, and the polling to go head-to-head with Crooked Joe Biden in the general election. ... In fact, tonight's Republican undercard event really shouldn't even be called a debate, but rather an audition to be a part of President Trump's team in his second term.

Ouch! They say the truth hurts, but is that email true? Has President Trump really won the looming GOP showdown before it even started? Please let us know what you think by voting in our new "Did Trump Win?" QuickPoll now.

Click here or on the "YES!" image below if you believe that President Trump has already won tonight's debate -- even though he won't be there. Click here or on the "NO!" image below if you think "45" can't claim victory without showing up: