“He’s doing the debate. But he’s doing the Trump event after,” Hogan Gidley, a spokesman for Huckabee’s campaign told POLITICO. | AP Photo Huckabee will join Trump at veterans event

Mike Huckabee will join Donald Trump at his rival campaign event in Des Moines on Thursday night.

“He’s doing the debate. But he’s doing the Trump event after,” Hogan Gidley, a spokesman for Huckabee’s campaign told POLITICO.


"After the #GOPDebate I'll join@realDonaldTrump in Des Moines to support our vets who've been abandoned by@BarackObama. Hope you join us!" Huckabee tweeted Thursday.

Huckabee, who is due to appear at the undercard Fox News debate, said on CNN that he offered to take Trump's podium on the main stage at 9 p.m. and when that was rejected, he decided to find something else to do at that time.

He said he wouldn't do an event with just anybody, but, "I’ll do it with Donald Trump. I respect him, I like him"

He also promised to make a personal contribution to veterans, which he said was not required.

Trump's rival benefit for veterans at Drake University — which Trump has teased on Twitter may attract other presidential candidates — is in response to a spat with Fox News that began Tuesday.

Trump had tried to persuade the network to drop Megyn Kelly as a co-moderator, and when Fox refused, the two sides engaged in an increasingly nasty back-and-forth. Fox issued a press release poking fun at the businessman, which appeared to get under Trump's skin. Fox's Bill O'Reilly then tried to pressure Trump to change his mind during a tense interview on Wednesday night, but the real estate mogul refused to budge.

Trump then announced his alternate event, to be held at the same time as the primetime debate, in a threat to Fox's viewership.

Huckabee's attendance has sparked some speculation that he could be vying for a vice presidential spot with Trump, but when CNN host Wolf Blitzer pressed him on Thursday, Huckabee pivoted and said he would consider Trump as his veep.

“He’d be on the list, sure,” Huckabee said. “I like him.”

But he then addressed the question vaguely, and said if Trump gets the Republican nomination, “we’re all with Trump."