Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer is predicting the Democratic National Committee’s debate strategy will blow up in the party’s face in 2020.
Spicer, whose combative relationship with the press defined his stint in Trump’s White House, wrote in the Wall Street Journal Tuesday that the Democrats’ effort to shake up its debate format ahead of a crowded 2020 field will fall flat.
“The proliferation of candidates is the DNC’s first problem,” Spicer wrote. “Excluded candidates will loudly challenge the new format from the beginning. Another controversy is likely to occur when top-tier candidates object to being on stage with those at the very bottom of the polls, who will attack the front-runners in hope of generating their “viral moment.”
Spicer implicitly compared the burgeoning Democratic field with the scrum of 2016 Republican presidential candidates. Spcier’s future boss, Trump, beat out 16 rivals, including senators, governors, and other political luminaries. Trump’s debate performances played no small role in his rise in the polls.
This year, with more than 20 candidates expected to declare their intention to run for the nomination, the DNC announced last month it will host its first debate on two separate nights.
The organization also said it will not allow Fox News to host any of its official debates in the run-up to the 2020 election.
“It may not be long before Fox announces it will host a debate independent of the DNC,” Spicer predicted. “With 2.4 million prime-time viewers, it would be near impossible for many candidates to say no, especially those near the bottom looking to break out.”
Some 2020 Democrats have already held or agreed to town hall events with the conservative news network.
Last week, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., told voters during his town hall on Fox News that he would not apologize for writing a best-selling book.
It was reported Tuesday that Mayor Pete Pete Buttigieg was in talks to hold a town hall event of his own on Fox.
“If the DNC system breaks down, countless left-wing groups will seize the opening to host debates on their particular cause,” Spicer said. “While imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, the serious flaws in the DNC’s plan will ultimately doom its ability to match the RNC’s success from 2016.”
