The Republican National Committee (RNC) dropped its partnership with NBC Friday in response to the CNBC Republican debate Wednesday chairman Reince Priebus said was “designed to embarrass” the candidates.
NBC was scheduled to host a primary debate at the University of Houston in February, but Priebus announced in a letter to the network the RNC is suspending the partnership, after discussing the CNBC debate with the presidential campaigns.
“The CNBC network is one of your media properties, and its handling of the debate was conducted in bad faith,” Priebus wrote in the letter, adding, “We need to ensure there is not a repeat performance.”
“This is a disappointing development,” NBC said in a statement Friday. “However, along with our debate broadcast partners at Telemundo we will work in good faith to resolve this matter with the Republican Party.”
Senators [crscore]Marco Rubio[/crscore] and [crscore]Ted Cruz[/crscore] criticized CNBC directly during the debate Wednesday for asking unfair and biased questions, winning applause and praise from conservatives following the debate.
“The questions that have been asked at this debate illustrate why the American people don’t trust the media,” Cruz said. “This is not a cage match, and you look at the questions … How about talking about the substantive issues?”
The RNC adopted Cruz’s take on the debate almost immediately, and the letter Friday said RNC is suspending the partnership in order to fulfill its “sole role” to ensure candidates are given a “full and fair” chance to talk about their ideas in the debate.
“CNBC billed the debate as one that would focus on ‘the key issues that matter to all voters—job growth, taxes, technology, retirement and the health of our national economy,'” Priebus wrote. “That was not the case. Before the debate, the candidates were promised an opening question on economic or financial matters. That was not the case.”
“Candidates were promised that speaking time would be carefully monitored to ensure fairness,” he continued. “That was not the case. Questions were inaccurate or downright offensive. The first question directed to one of our candidates asked if he was running a comic book version of a presidential campaign, hardly in the spirit of how the debate was billed.”
Priebus concluded the letter by saying the RNC still intends to hold the debate, and National Review will be a part of it. “I will be working with our candidates to discuss how to move forward and will be in touch,” he wrote.
The reaction on Twitter was mixed:
Look at media up in arms over that letter to NBC. Point proven. Let them die.
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) October 30, 2015
So, any time a debate is poorly executed, a network risks future debates being de-sanctioned by RNC? Seems harsh. https://t.co/RCr4wOp1BA
— Rebecca Berg (@rebeccagberg) October 30, 2015
It's about time the GOP said it out loud. NBC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Democrat Party.
— RBe (@RBPundit) October 30, 2015
So why let CNN, NBC, etal moderate Repub debates? Dems wouldn't let FOX moderate their debates? The media is the enemy. Treat them that way
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) October 30, 2015
NBC is being penalized for being biased. And the media is super upset. Meanwhile, they're TOTALLY ok with Dems banning Fox News.
— RBe (@RBPundit) October 30, 2015
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