Huckabee and Santorum to Attend Trump Event During Fox News Debate
12:56 pm ET By Maggie Haberman
Mike Huckabee, the winner of the 2008 Iowa caucuses who has been struggling to gain traction in this year’s race, will appear with Donald J. Trump and an event for veterans that the billionaire businessman has scheduled as counterprogramming to tonight’s debate on Fox News, which he is skipping.
Mr. Huckabee’s spokesman, Hogan Gidley, said the former Arkansas governor will make an appearance after he participates in the so-called undercard debate, “to support our veterans.” Mr. Trump’s aides say the event is to raise money for wounded military veterans.
The move is basically a win-win for all involved. Mr. Huckabee will get more attention than he’s been able to garner in months, and he will be affirming Mr. Trump’s decision to skip the debate. What’s more, it helps shift attention away from Senator Ted Cruz, Mr. Trump’s main competitor in the race, and the candidate who is appealing to the evangelical voters that helped Mr. Huckabee win in 2008.
Mr. Gidley insisted there was no effort to harm Mr. Cruz or to take away from the prime-time debate.
Another low-polling former caucuses winner, Rick Santorum, has also been very aggressively criticizing Mr. Cruz, but not Mr. Trump.
John Brabender, the top strategist for Mr. Santorum, said his candidate would be honored “to help support our veterans” and he also plans to attend.
Like Mr. Huckabee, Mr. Santorum’s share of the vote seems to largely come from supporters who might be open to Mr. Cruz.
