REUTERS/Evan Semon
The CNBC debate.
"While we are suspending our partnership with NBC News and its properties, we still fully intend to have a debate on that day," RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said, referring to the scheduled February 26, 2016, debate date in Houston, Texas.
Priebus and many of the Republican presidential candidates repeatedly complained about the tone of the CNBC event, which they described using terms like "biased," "irritating," and even "crap sandwich."
The network defended its debate as simply presenting tough questions to the next potential commander-in-chief.
But conservative critics accused the moderators of trying to go out of their way to embarrass the candidates with overly nasty confrontations, instead of facilitating an economic-policy discussion.
The RNC released a letter from Priebus to NBC News chief Andrew Lack explaining the decision, which Priebus said was "pending further discussion."
"The CNBC network is one of your media properties, and its handling of the debate was conducted in bad faith. We understand that NBC does not exercise full editorial control over CNBC's journalistic approach. However, the network is an arm of your organization, and we need to ensure there is not a repeat performance," Priebus wrote.
Priebus had a litany of complaints, including that the debate did not focus enough on financial topics, CNBC's specialty.
"CNBC billed the debate as one that would focus on the key issues that matter to all voters-job growth, taxes, technology, retirement and the health of our national economy," he wrote. "That was not the case. Before the debate, the candidates were promised an opening question on economic or financial matters. That was not the case."
He added: "Candidates were promised that speaking time would be carefully monitored to ensure fairness. That was not the case. Questions were inaccurate or downright offensive. The first question directed to one of our candidates asked if he was running a comic book version of a presidential campaign, hardly in the spirit of how the debate was billed."
Priebus' letter comes amid a potential mutiny against the RNC from some of the Republican candidates, who are reportedly discussing how they can band together and change future debate formats.
NBC responded by releasing a brief statement: "This is a disappointing development. However, along with our debate broadcast partners at Telemundo we will work in good faith to resolve this matter with the Republican Party."
View the RNC full letter below:
Dear Mr. Lack,
I write to inform you that pending further discussion between the Republican National Committee (RNC) and our presidential campaigns, we are suspending the partnership with NBC News for the Republican primary debate at the University of Houston on February 26, 2016. The RNC's sole role in the primary debate process is to ensure that our candidates are given a full and fair opportunity to lay out their vision for America's future. We simply cannot continue with NBC without full consultation with our campaigns.
The CNBC network is one of your media properties, and its handling of the debate was conducted in bad faith. We understand that NBC does not exercise full editorial control over CNBC's journalistic approach. However, the network is an arm of your organization, and we need to ensure there is not a repeat performance.
CNBC billed the debate as one that would focus on "the key issues that matter to all voters-job growth, taxes, technology, retirement and the health of our national economy." That was not the case. Before the debate, the candidates were promised an opening question on economic or financial matters. That was not the case. Candidates were promised that speaking time would be carefully monitored to ensure fairness. That was not the case. Questions were inaccurate or downright offensive. The first question directed to one of our candidates asked if he was running a comic book version of a presidential campaign, hardly in the spirit of how the debate was billed.
While debates are meant to include tough questions and contrast candidates' visions and policies for the future of America, CNBC's moderators engaged in a series of "gotcha" questions, petty and mean-spirited in tone, and designed to embarrass our candidates. What took place Wednesday night was not an attempt to give the American people a greater understanding of our candidates' policies and ideas.
I have tremendous respect for the First Amendment and freedom of the press. However, I also expect the media to host a substantive debate on consequential issues important to Americans. CNBC did not.
While we are suspending our partnership with NBC News and its properties, we still fully intend to have a debate on that day, and will ensure that National Review remains part of it.
I will be working with our candidates to discuss how to move forward and will be in touch.
Sincerely,
Reince Priebus
Chairman, Republican National Committee