Republican front-runner Donald Trump took another victory lap Monday afternoon as ABC News and the New Hampshire Union Leader continued to snipe at each other over a GOP debate scheduled for Feb. 6.
“Does anybody want the back cover of a newspaper that’s lost all credibility?” the billionaire businessman asked supporters Monday afternoon at a campaign event in the Granite State.
His comments come one day after ABC News ended its debate partnership with the Union Leader for a Feb. 6 GOP presidential debate.
Trump said earlier Monday on social media, “So professional of [ABC News] to throw out the failing [Union Leader] newspaper from their debate. Paper won’t survive, highly unethical!”
The news network explained this weekend that the Union Leader’s outspoken criticism of Trump, along with its endorsement of 2016 GOP presidential candidate New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, posed a conflict of interest.
The newspaper was not amused to find itself cut from the debate, and responded late Sunday evening by accusing ABC of seemingly giving into pressure from Trump.
“We are amused by ABC News apparently just discovering that we endorse candidates and write editorials. We have been doing both for many years and it has never been a problem with ABC or other debate sponsors,” Union Leader Publisher Joseph W. McQuaid said.
“We consider ABC’s actions to be spineless. Between bowing to the DNC and Trump, ABC is more concerned about appeasing the parties and candidates than informing voters. The Union Leader will continue to serve Granite Staters by being a reliable source of information about where candidates stand,” he added.
ABC, for its part, directed blame at the Union Leader, as one source told the Washington Examiner that the newspaper brought nothing to the table editorially when the two co-sponsored a Democratic presidential debate in December.
ABC News Vice President Robin Sproul attempted to smooth things over by saying in an email to McQuaid, “We respect and admire the Union Leader and its storied role in New Hampshire politics. It’s why we always reach out to you guys about debates, every cycle.”
The ABC executive explained that the network merely wants each candidate to feel like they’re getting a fair deal, and that the partners are “not biased in favor of or against anyone on the debate stage.”
“We felt that the current war of words with Trump, coupled with the endorsement already made, put us in a difficult position — there was just too much distraction from what we need to accomplish in the debate,” Sproul’s email said.
Trump was thrilled with the decision, and wasted no time gloating Sunday on social media about the feud between ABC News and the Union Leader.
“I am pleased to announce that I had the Union Leader removed from the upcoming debate,” he said. “If their highly unethical behavior, including begging me for ads, isn’t questionable enough, they have endorsed a candidate who can’t win.”
