MSNBC host: RNC demands on presidential debate committee seem reasonable
MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle discusses the Republican National Committee's reform calls for the Committee on Presidential Debates.
Members of the liberal media members roasted the Republican National Committee for unanimously voting to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates.
RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced on Thursday her party is severing ties with the decades-long precedent, which had the CPD organize three presidential debates and one vice-presidential debate in coordination with both political parties.
RNC VOTES TO WITHDRAW FROM COMMISSION ON PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
"The RNC voted to withdraw from the biased CPD, and we are going to find newer, better debate platforms to ensure that future nominees are not forced to go through the biased CPD in order to make their case to the American people," McDaniel said in the statement.
The RNC clarified that it is not moving away from the presidential debate format, but is rather objecting to the CPD's control over the process.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden participate in their second 2020 presidential campaign debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., October 22, 2020. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
While many conservatives rejoiced, liberals rushed to mock Republicans as "snowflakes," alleging parting ways with the CPD was a sign their presidential candidate cannot take the heat of the debates.
"Not surprising," NBC News legal analyst Glenn Kirschner reacted. "In the battle of accomplishments, Republicans are shooting blanks. In the battle of wits, Republicans are entirely unarmed. Why WOULD they subject themselves to the inevitable trouncing they’d suffer in a debate?"
"Sadly, this is a strategy that will work," The Atlantic contributing writer Jemele Hill wrote. "They don’t want to debate. They don’t have any ideas other than bigoted ones. They just want to hold pep rallies for their base and say extreme things to create attention and headlines."
LIBERAL MEDIA PANICS ABOUT NO DEBATES IN 2024 AS RNC FEUDS WITH COMMISSION ON PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
"So what they're saying is that Trump is running scared of a debate?" MSNBC's Mehdi Hasan surmised.
"I fear that when future historians are trying to unpack how Late Republic America slid into right wing authoritarianism, they will over value ‘Republicans refused to debate’ and undervalue ‘Democrats kept trying to debate,’" The Nation correspondent Elie Mystal tweeted.
"It's official. The RNC is ditching the presidential debates. Translation: The questions are biased, the people asking the questions are biased, the organization that produces the event is biased, and all this bias this hurts our feelings while messing with our messaging," Press Think’s Jay Rosen wrote.
U.S. President Donald Trump answers a question as Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden listens during the final presidential debate at the Curb Event Center at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., October 22, 2020. Morry Gash/Pool via REUTERS (Morry Gash/Pool via REUTERS)
The RNC went on to list a number of complaints with how the CPD handled previous elections, such as not hosting the first debate in 2020 until 26 states had already begun early voting. The committee also complained that a majority of the CPD's board members had publicly disparaged former President Donald Trump prior to the debates.
Former President Trump's presidential campaign made many of the same complaints during the 2020 election.
The CPD faced intense backlash during the 2020 election cycle over the controversy of its second debate moderator, C-SPAN host Steve Scully, who appeared to have reached out to outspoken Trump foe Anthony Scaramucci on Twitter.
The exchange between Scully and Scaramucci fueled even more questions of the journalist's credibility to fairly moderate a debate after critics previously highlighted his work as an intern for then Delaware Sen. Joe Biden decades ago.
Former C-SPAN political editor Steve Scully. (Photo by Andre Chung for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Scully initially claimed that his Twitter account was hacked but later admitted he lied. The "Washington Journal" host was suspended by C-SPAN and later parted ways with the network in June 2021.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The CPD was also slammed for unilaterally deciding to make the second debate virtual following Trump's bout with the coronavirus without consulting either of the campaigns.
After Trump refused to partake in the virtual format, the CPD scrapped the second debate altogether.
Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.