Kelly Grills Cruz On Proposal That Only Republicans Moderate GOP Debates

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Fox News Megyn Kelly, who has expressed skepticism of Republican candidates’ demands following the CNBC debate, on Tuesday night quizzed Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on his pitch that only Republican journalists moderate the Republican primary debates.

Kelly first asked Cruz about a few candidates’ plan to send a letter to networks with a list of demands for future debates.

“I’m not interested in signing onto a letter of demands,” Cruz said before launching into his thoughts on “liberal” moderators. “The one point I have made — and I’ve made it several times — is why is it that we have Republican primary debates that are moderated by liberal Democrats? Liberal Democrats moderate the Democratic debates and they moderate the Republican debates. I don’t think that makes any sense.”

Cruz suggested that the Republican National Committee establish a rule that only individuals who have voted in a Republican primary should moderate Republican primary debates.

“Let me challenge you on that,” Kelly responded. “Do you have any idea whether [Fox News hosts] Bret Baier or Chris Wallace have ever voted in a Republican primary?”

Cruz said he didn’t know. Kelly then described Baier and Wallace as some of the most fair television journalists and pointed out that they could be disqualified under Cruz’s proposed rule.

“They could potentially. My guess is that they have voted in a Republican primary,” Cruz responded, adding that most television journalists are “liberal Democrats.”

“Would we have to submit our voting records to you or some committee?” Kelly then asked, adding that it would be impractical.

“It’s not complicated,” Cruz hit back. “In a primary, don’t have liberals moderating.”

Cruz then insisted that he will debate in front of any moderators, but that Republican moderators would be more appropriate.

Watch the clip via Fox News:

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Notable Replies

  1. I would love to see a Republican debate “moderated” by Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and Alex Jones. Let the American public see the full-on crazy hiding just behind the curtain.

  2. Cruz has something here. He can ask Putin to sign on as a Republican before he begins any sort of negotiations. And if we only allowed Republicans to vote, we would have never had Obamacare.

    This is a wonderful idea. It also balances the budget.

  3. Avatar for topcat topcat says:

    how about, candidates can only take questions from their mom?

  4. Avatar for gajake gajake says:

    I am a confirmed liberal who occasionally votes in a Republican primary, and then votes D in the general. I live in a district where the R always wins, so I want to at least vote on which R it will be. And hey, if invited, I will gladly “moderate” one of their spectacles of dumbassery.

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