Trump says people will turn off tomorrow's Democratic primary debate because he's not in it – and CNN says he might be right!
- 'I think people are going to turn it on for a couple of minutes and then fall asleep,' Trump told a Fox News audience
- Claimed 'a person at CNN' said that 'we have to put Donald Trump in this debate. We're going to die with it'
- First two GOP debates drew 24 million and 23 million viewers, largely on the strength of Trump's participation
- Hammered Obama for '60 Minutes' appearance: 'I watched his performance last night and I thought it was terrible'
- More of the latest news on the Democratic presidential primary debate
Tuesday's first Democratic presidential primary debate will be a low-ratings snoozefest, according to Donald Trump – because he won't be on the stage in Las Vegas.
And a CNN executive is hinting that he might be completely right.
'I think people are going to turn it on for a couple of minutes and then fall asleep,' The Donald said Monday morning on 'Fox and Friends.'
The debate will air on CNN and feature Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton at center-stage.
'I don't want to say this in a braggadocious way, but a person at CNN and a couple of other people said, 'We have to put Donald Trump in this debate. We're going to die with it',' Trump claimed.
'Let's see,' he said. 'I don't think they'll do badly, because there is a curiosity factor. I don't think they're going to do great, and I think a lot of people will turn off after a little while.'
SNOOZER: 'I think people are going to turn it on for a couple of minutes and then fall asleep,' The Donald said about Tuesday's Democratic primary debate
LINEUP: CNN said Sunday that Hillary Clinton will be at center-stage for the event that will showcase the Democratic Party's shallow White House bench
STILL GOT IT: Trump leads the Republican field and brings TV ratings with him herever he appears
The Republican field has already endured two debate grillings, which drew audiences of 24 million and 23 million – largely on the strength of the Trump factor, as gawkers flocked to their TVs hoping to see either a political revolution or a real-time train wreck.
The Sept. 16 CNN debate was the network's most-watched program ever. Trump tweeted a snark about expecting 'flowers & a thank you note.'
CNN Washington Bureau Chief Sam Feist doesn't seem to be expecting a repeat performance.
He told Politico on Monday that audience numbers for the first two GOP debates were 'an anomaly in a highly unusual Republican nomination cycle.'
'While I won't predict ratings for this debate, we expect the audience to be significantly smaller,' Feist said.
Appearing along with Clinton on Tuesday will be Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb and former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee.
Only Sanders has posed a serious challenge so far to the former secretary of state. Vice President Joe Biden hasn't accepted CNN's invitation to participate as he mulls enternig the race himself.
Clinton is 'nervous about her whole future,' Trump claimed Monday. 'She's got a lot of problems, you know, beyond the debate. I think she's got a lot of problems.'
Hillary, he said, 'hasn't been a great debater in the past, but I think she just has to hold. I can't imagine Bernie Sanders will beat her.'
Trump also expressed surprise that the Democratic Party has held on to Clinton as its standard-bearer amid legal and ethical problems related to her private email server that held classified information while she was secretary of state.
'I can't imagine she's going to be allowed to run based on the email scandal,,' Trump said.
'But she probably will because the Democrats are going to take care of her.'
He said Biden is looking more and more like a candidate, 'going around all over the place shaking everybody's hand.'
'Every time I look on television he's at a different event, so that would indicate he is doing it. But when I look at the poll numbers, I don't see him doing very well right now, even though it's early.'The Fox hosts asked Trump to handicap President Barack Obama's interview on the CBS program '
YUUUGE: The first GOP debate in Cleveland drew 24 million viewers, a number no one expects the Trump-free Democrats to match on Tuesday
'PERFORMANCE': Trump panned Obama's appearance on CBS as 'so much negativity'
Fox's morning hosts asked Trump to handicap President Barack Obama's Sunday night interview on the CBS program '60 Minutes.'
Obama predicted that the 'publicity seeker' Trump won't succeed him in the Oval Office, saying that he is 'the classic reality TV character and, at this early stage, it's not surprising that he's gotten a lot of attention.'
The Donald was not amused.
'I watched his performance last night and I thought it was terrible,' he said.
'It was sad, because everything is negative, you know, nothing positive. I thought it was a little bit sad because there was so much negativity.'
- Can YOU spot this armed camouflaged Marine watching you?
- New footage shows Kurdish fighters destroying an ISIS VBIED
- Helmet cam captures moment man is hurled into air crossing...
- Adele supports Kesha in her BRIT Awards acceptance speech
- Shocking moment man thrown from theme park ride after belt...
- Cockatoo launches into swear-filled rant when owner destroys...
- Dramatic moment high winds force plane to cancel landing
- The moment road rage motorist tries to run HGV off the road
- BBC weather girl Rachel Mackley dramatically faints live on...
- Smoke plumes rise from Didcot Power Station after explosion
- Britain's Coming Home! Spoof song for Brexit campaign
- PMQs: Cameron and Corbyn exchange 'motherly advice' in...
- The schoolboy, 16, who will LIVE with a Russian porn star in...
- 'WTF is wrong with people?!' Facebook and Twitter outrage...
- Adam Johnson's ex-teammate at Sunderland 'refused to give...
- Petra Ecclestone's billionaire husband James Stunt gets his...
- Can YOU spot the camouflaged Marine in this video? Expert...
- Single mother 'was sacked by DHL after she took three days...
- The new National Theatre play that is so gruesome it's...
- Fake tan and short skirts - English women are VULGAR, blasts...
- Technical glitch is blamed for mystery plane spotted 'on the...
- Charge! Terrifying moment a rhino smashed into tourists' car...
- 'The bad news is even 12 hours of brain surgery hasn’t shut...
- Portrait of a mourning mother: Spaniel is found by the...