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:
