Fox News GOP Debate In Salt Lake City Cancelled

Republican presidential candidate, businessman Donald Trump speaks during a Republican presidential primary debate at The University of Houston, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

March 16, 2016 12:52 p.m.

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This post has been updated.

The next Republican presidential debate, scheduled for Monday in Salt Lake City, was cancelled after frontrunner Donald Trump said he would skip the event, Fox News confirmed Wednesday.

Fox News executive vice president Michael Clemente confirmed the cancellation in a statement, saying after Ohio Gov. John Kasich said he wouldn’t attend the event without Trump, “there needs to be more than one participant.”

“Ted Cruz has expressed a willingness to debate Trump or Kasich – or both,” Clemente said in a statement provided to TPM. “But obviously, there needs to be more than one participant. So the Salt Lake City debate is cancelled.”

Local Fox affiliate KSTU first reported confirmation the from the convention center that the event had been cancelled.

The news comes after Trump said he wouldn’t attend the debate, citing a speech already scheduled at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Shortly after, Kasich said he wouldn’t attend the event without Trump.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) hit back at Trump for skipping the debate, launching a campaign “petition” that said Trump was too “scared to debate” him.

Here’s the full statement from Clemente:

On Feb. 20, the Republican National Committee announced that a GOP presidential primary debate would be held on March 21 in Salt Lake City. They offered that debate to Fox News Channel to host, provided there were enough candidates actively campaigning. This morning, Donald Trump announced he would not be participating in the debate. Shortly afterward, John Kasich’s campaign announced that without Trump at the debate, Kasich would not participate. Ted Cruz has expressed a willingness to debate Trump or Kasich — or both. But obviously, there needs to be more than one participant. So the Salt Lake City debate is cancelled.

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Katherine Krueger

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Notable Replies

doremus_jessup says:

March 16, 2016

Ted Cruz: “Get somebody in a chicken suit on a plane to AIPAC stat”
dnl says:

March 16, 2016

Bipartisan Report – 16 Mar 16

Hate-Radio Killed Off By Surprising Non-Corporate Group

Wow. There is nothing quite like seeing Bob Pittman, corporate owner of hate-salesmen like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, and Glenn Beck, on his knees. President of iHeartMedia Pittman is begging a San Antonio judge to give him a...

…and Fox showing signs of DeMontia.
riverstreet says:

March 16, 2016

Dr Spock’s Baby and Child Care

A surprising number of tantrums are a result of fatigue or hunger or of putting a child in a situation that exceeds his capabilities. . . . If the tantrum is of this sort, a parent can ignore the apparent cause and deal with the underlying problem: “You’re tired and hungry, aren’t you? Let’s get you home, fed, and to bed, and you’ll feel a lot better.”

. . . .Don’t give in and meekly let the child have their way; otherwise she’ll be throwing tantrums on purpose all the time. Don’t argue with her, because she’s in no mood to see the error of her ways. Becoming angry yourself only forces her to keep up her end of the row. Give her a graceful way out. One child cools off quickest if parents fade away and matter-of-factly go about their own business, as if they can’t be bothered. Another, with more determination and pride, continues to yell and thrash for an hour unless her parents make a friendly gesture.
bigbraxstone says:

March 16, 2016

Faux Noise created this monster.
johnscotus says:

March 16, 2016

“…launching a campaign “petition” that said Trump was too “scared to debate” him.”

Yeah…that’ll work.

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