Will Donald Trump Appear at GOP Presidential Debate? Fox News Moderators Prepare for the 'Unprecedented'

Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum explain why "not knowing exactly who will be on stage" on Aug. 23 — including front-runner and four-time indictee Donald Trump — adds a twist to their debate prep

Fox News Channel's Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum admit that preparing for debates is always a challenge — but say that looming questions surrounding the upcoming Republican presidential debate adds a unique element to this year's event.

"Not knowing exactly who will be on stage makes it a little different," Baier — who will moderate alongside MacCallum in Milwaukee on Aug. 23 — tells PEOPLE.

As both Fox News personalities acknowledge, former President Donald Trump has not yet committed to attending the debate. That the 77-year-old Trump is currently the front-runner in the race — and the subject of numerous investigations, which will likely be topics of discussion among the candidates — is unusual.

"You have to plan for him to show up at the last minute," says MacCallum of Trump. "He usually enjoys being in on the action and we certainly hope he will do that."

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The situation is a re-run of sorts for those who follow elections closely. Back in 2016, Trump — then a first-time candidate — decided at the last minute not to attend the second in a series of Republican primary debates.

"He didn’t say [that he wasn't coming] until debate night," Baier, who also sat in the moderator's chair that evening, recalls. "Literally as we’re walking out on the stage, there was still the chance that he would show up, so we had two stacks of questions. One for a debate with Trump and one for a debate without Trump."

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Whether he attends or not, Trump's presence will no doubt be felt. He's currently well ahead of his Republican rivals in the most recent polls and a recent slew of indictments against him ensure that his rivals will have no choice to speak about the former president.

"He’s the front-runner, and he’s facing six or seven really big trial-related dates in the middle of a campaign season, when he’s expected to campaign in New Hampshire and Iowa," MacCallum notes. "This is absolutely unprecedented to see the lead candidate facing these sorts of charges [and] no one has ever covered an election cycle like this. Obviously what the other candidates think about that ... that’s really important."

The debate will also be an opportunity for the other, largely overlooked candidates to claw their way out of Trump's shadow.

"There's a very important task [for the other candidates] because there will be … two, maybe three who rise to the top and are serious contenders to the former president," MacCallum says. "They are in a very intense competition, so either way the stakes are high."

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Baier, who's hosted at least eight previous GOP debates, says he and his co-moderator have been prepping for the event for months, holding meetings "a couple times a week" to discuss the initial framing of questions and the "buckets of topics" they'll cover.

"It’s a process of having a lump of coal," he says, "and polishing it to a diamond, ideally."

While the moderators won't give too much away about the questions that can be expected that evening, MacCallum suggests that major issues like the economy and education will come up. She adds that topics like the commitment in the war in Ukraine and the border are also focal points of many voters.

"I think it's incredible to have this front row seat to a historic moment. When you look up on that stage, you see these people who have given up a lot and committed a lot to be president ... it's an extraordinary moment," MacCallum says. "I feel really excited to be part of it and give the people at home ... a strong line of questioning."

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The challenge for the moderators, of course, will be fact-checking in real time and trying to "prevent politicians from having off-ramps to their talking points," Baier says.

"We are planning for all kinds of things," says Baier. "You plan for all contingencies. These guys ... they’re trailing the former president significantly. They need to have big moments and mostly on substance and policy and differences."

But more than anything, he says, his and his colleagues' goal is to shine a light on the candidates, and not themselves.

"Martha's a true pro ... we just respect and get each other," Baier says. "And I think we’re in the same mindset of trying to get viewers and voters what they need. It’s not about either one of us."

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