RNC Criticized for Blocking Open Dialogue Between Presidential Candidates
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Conservative media and GOP political heavyweights are pushing back on the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) recent crackdowns on alternative candidate forums – arguing that such efforts are a disservice to voters.
On Tuesday, Fox News host Laura Ingraham became the latest media personality to suggest a one-on-one matchup between two GOP presidential candidates. Ingraham offered her show as a forum for Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to hash out their recent feuds.
Given the time constraints of the debates – all of which had five or more candidates – the republican rivals are often unable to respond to allegations made against them, or are cut short before they can finish their response.
“Well, I’d like to see Ron DeSantis vs. Nikki Haley,” Ingraham said. “The two of them, I think, need to debate it out. That’s what we need to see at this point. And I think America would like to see that as well.”
RNC DEBATES: A “BROKEN PROCESS”
Other candidates have entertained similar offers as criticism grows over how the RNC manages the debates.
After expressing frustration at the second Republican presidential debate in Simi Valley, California, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie agreed to hold a separate joint appearance on Fox News with Bret Baier.
“The GOP needs more actual argument on substance, not fake one-liners,” Ramaswamy posted on X. “I agreed to spar with @ChrisChristie tomorrow for a full hour on Fox at 6 pm with @BretBaier.”
But after the Republican National Committee (RNC) threatened to bar both candidates from all future committee-sanctioned events, the presidential hopefuls agreed to modify the format. Instead of discussing issues side-by-side, Fox pre-recorded two separate back-to-back segments with the candidates.
“It is very disappointing that we were threatened with exclusion from the Miami debate and future debates for trying to have a more complete dialogue with each other and the voters,” Christie posted on X. “Every campaign was offered that opportunity by Fox News and they have now been effectively banned by the RNC.”
Ramaswamy ripped the RNC, accusing committee officials of orchestrating a “broken process.”
“Instead of allowing open dialogue & the airing of ideas to give primary voters a real choice, the [RNC] Establishment would rather cut backroom deals & offer up phony debates including candidates with no viable path and questions that no voter would ever ask,” Ramaswamy told Politico in a statement. “The Establishment was hellbent on taking down Trump. Now they’re hellbent on propping up their favored puppets. We won’t let them get away with it.”
While the RNC has explicitly forbidden candidates from participating in unsanctioned debates, more media outlets are questioning the committee’s motives and proposing new forums where voters can listen to an open dialogue between candidates.
The Committee defended its approach – alleging that the criticism was driven by self-interest, rather than concern for voters.
“The same candidates complaining about the rules governing RNC debates all signed a pledge and agreed months ago to not participate in unsanctioned debates,” an RNC spokesperson wrote in a statement. “The RNC will continue to enact a fair, transparent debate process and we will not give in to pressure from individuals seeking to change the rules to favor their candidacy.”
UNCLEAR MOTIVES
As voters seek clarity on where candidates stand on issues affecting everyday Americans, it’s unclear where the line is drawn at the RNC.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will debate California Governor Gavin Newsom on Fox News later this month. But the head-to-head matchup doesn’t violate the committee’s rules because Newsom is a Democrat.
During an interview with Sean Hannity in September, DeSantis challenged former President Trump to a one-on-one debate. While Trump likely would not oblige – given that he’s skipped each of the first three GOP debates – Hannity said he would be willing to ask the former president anyway.
Last week, the RNC backed off its threat to sanction Ron DeSantis and other presidential candidates who plan to attend a Thanksgiving forum hosted by The Family Leader in Des Moines on Friday. DeSantis told reporters at campaign stops in Iowa over the weekend that the RNC shouldn’t be making threats.
“There’s no way that that should cause the RNC to penalize any candidate,” DeSantis said, promising to participate in the Thanksgiving forum “no matter what happens.”
“The RNC and I have agreed on the format of @TheFamilyLeader November 17 Thanksgiving FAMiLY Forum,” Family Leader President and CEO Bob Vander Plaats posted on X.
A SHIFT FROM THE “ECHO CHAMBER”
Weeks ahead of the third Republican presidential debate in Miami, senior Trump advisors Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles said the RNC should “immediately cancel” the third debate to “refocus its manpower and money to preventing Democrats’ efforts to steal the 2024 election.”
The RNC was later caught off guard when Trump’s campaign announced it would hold a counterprogramming event the same night as the debate, minutes from the Miami arena where other GOP candidates were scheduled to face off.
Following blowback from poorly run debates moderated by Left-leaning newscasters, the RNC had opted to shift away from network news stations like Fox News and NBC. Last week, the RNC announced that NewsNation, the Megyn Kelly Show on SiriusXM radio and the Washington Free Beacon will team up to broadcast the fourth Republican presidential debate on December 6.
Will the move to lesser-known outlets make a difference in the end product? The Beacon’s editor-in-chief Eliana Johnson promises it will.
Johnson said she is excited to “offer the candidates a debate platform outside of the mainstream media echo chamber and to give Republican primary voters a debate where conservative ideas and values will be the terrain and not the target.”