WASHINGTON — Donald Trump says debate moderator Lester Holt shouldn’t try to fact-check the candidates at next week’s presidential debate.

Trump says it’s up to the candidates themselves to call out their rivals when they are wrong. Trump spoke Thursday in a telephone interview on “Fox and Friends.” He says the candidates should “argue it out.”

NBC’s Matt Lauer has received criticism for not pointing out factual errors by Trump at a recent forum on national security.

Trump says there’s pressure on NBC’s Holt ahead of Monday’s debate at Hofstra University. He likens it to the pressure former Indiana University basketball coach and Trump supporter Bobby Knight used to put on referees.

Trump says: “A lot of people are watching to see whether or not he succumbs to that pressure.”