Fox News’ Megyn Kelly has joined the growing chorus of media figures who think it’s ridiculous that the Republican National Committee is trying to negotiate more favorable terms for the remaining primary debates.
“Oh yeah, that’s going to happen,” Kelly said Monday evening as she read a list of demands released this week by representatives from 13 GOP campaigns and the RNC.
The RNC is working with the GOP presidential field to renegotiate how TV networks handle primary debates. The move comes after CNBC moderated a debate last week that has been roundly criticized as “weirdly hostile,” “horrible” and “biased.”
But Kelly appeared unimpressed with the RNC’s list of demands, and mocked it as over-the-top.
“Maybe like a foot massage?” she joked. “Can you imagine having to submit our graphics for approval to the candidates?”
“Good luck with that,” she added.
She’s not alone in her reaction to the GOP demands. CNN’s Kate Bolduan said Monday in an interview with RNC communications director Sean Spicer, “You’re not going to tell a CNN control room, or any other network’s control room, what the director shots are going to be.”
No Republican candidate has signed the agreement.
Donald Trump is reportedly planning to disregard the draft agreement and will seek instead to deal with networks directly, the Washington Post reported.
On Sunday, Republican attorney Ben Ginsberg, who has acted as a go-between for the candidates and the RNC, produced a draft agreement containing more than two dozen questions and recommendations to be delivered to TV networks.
Ginsburg amended the document on Monday to better clarify the candidates’ 28 demands regarding all future debates.
“What is the estimated audience for the debate? Will it be disseminated online? By radio? Will it be disseminated by other means and do you have any additional partners?” read one bullet point in the letter.
Another set of questions read, “Will there be questions from the audience or social media? How many? How will they be presented to the candidates? Will you acknowledge that you, as the sponsor, take responsibility for all questions asked, even if not asked by your personnel?”
