When Fox News initially couldn't get Hillary Clinton on board for a debate, the network came up with a different debate partner for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.): Donald Trump. And, The New York Times reports, the debate between the Republican frontrunner and the socialist senator almost happened:
The Trump campaign was initially very interested, according to Fox officials, and the Sanders campaign was on board. But before the debate could be announced, the Trump campaign pulled out, citing scheduling conflicts. [The New York Times]
Clinton ended up agreeing to participate at the last minute, ending her two-year-long absence from the conservative network and resulting in the Democratic presidential forum that aired Monday night, which marked the network's first presidential campaign event with all of the Democratic Party's candidates present since 2004.