Megyn Kelly Memoir: Fox News Leaked Debate Questions To Trump Campaign

You'll recall just weeks ago Republicans railed against the DNC when an email from WikiLeaks seemed to confirm that Donna Brazile had leaked the Clinton campaign a debate question prior to one of the Democratic primary debates.

Outrage! Fury!

I wouldn't hold your breath for the same reaction as we now learn that someone leaked debate questions to the Trump campaign as well.

From the New York Times report about Megyn Kelly's new memoir:

Ms. Kelly writes that her problems started in August, the Monday before the first Republican presidential primary debate. She had just done a segment on her show, “The Kelly File,” that infuriated Mr. Trump. He refused to make his own scheduled appearance on her show unless she phoned him personally. “I almost unleashed my beautiful Twitter account against you,” she says he told her, “and I still may.”

Then, the day before the first presidential debate, Mr. Trump was in a lather again, Ms. Kelly writes. He called Fox executives, saying he’d heard that her first question “was a very pointed question directed at him.” This disconcerted her, because it was true: It was about his history of using disparaging language about women.

She doesn’t speculate where the leak came from. (She reports. You decide.) But that’s another unambiguous takeaway from this book: Parts of Fox — or at the very least, Roger Ailes, the network’s chairman until July, when he was given the boot after several allegations of sexual harassment were made against him — seemed to be nakedly colluding with the Republican presidential nominee.

Of course, the very first question Kelly asked was directed to Trump about his treatment and language towards women. Trump was so angry about the question he launched his much ballyhooed Twitter war against Kelly.

Billionaire Mark Cuban Gets Front Row Seat To 1st Presidential Debate

Mark Cuban

For months now, billionaire Mark Cuban (Dallas Mavericks, Shark Tank) has been an outspoken critic of Republican Donald Trump's run for the White House.

Just last week, Cuban offered Trump $10 million if he would sit down to a four hour, one on one interview with Cuban. It goes without saying Trump didn't respond.

But, Cuban will have a ringside seat to the first presidential debate at Hofstra University this coming Monday as news comes that the Hillary Clinton camp has given Cuban the best ticket they have so he can attend.

Cuban is famous for being down front, yelling at referees, throwing shade during his Mavericks basketball games, so expect some posturing from the Shark Tank star.

Just got a front row seat to watch @HillaryClinton overwhelm @realDonaldTrump at the "Humbling at Hofstra" on Monday. It Is On !

— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) September 23, 2016

If you have ever seen @mcuban courtside at a Mavs game, you know he'll be fired up for Monday's debate. #ImwithHer

— Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) September 23, 2016

Moderators For Presidential Debates Announced

The Commission on Presidential Debates has announced the moderators who have been selected for the four showdowns scheduled between now and November 8th.

These are all highly qualified, fair people. No one will call anyone on this list biased.

From CBS News:

NBC News’ Lester Holt will moderate the first presidential debate, scheduled for Sept. 26 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York.

According to the CPD, the debate will be divided into six segments of about 15 minutes each on major topics to be selected by the moderator and announced at least one week before the debate.

CBSN anchor and CBS News correspondent Elaine Quijano has been named the moderator of the vice presidential debate, which will take place on Oc. 4, 2016 at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. It will be the only veep forum between Democratic Sen. Kaine of Virginia and Republican Gov. Pence of Indiana.

Quijano will be the first anchor of a digital network to moderate a national debate in a general election campaign. In the vice presidential debate, the time will be divided into nine segments with about 10 minutes of discussion on each topic, and the moderator alone will determine the questions to be asked.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper and ABC News’ Martha Raddatz will ask questions of the candidates in the second debate on Oct. 19 at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

This debate will take the form of a town hall meeting, where half of the questions will be posed directly by participants. The other half will be asked by the moderators. Town hall participants will be uncommitted voters selected by the Gallup Organization.

“Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace will moderate the third debate on Oct. 19, which will be held at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas campus. The third debate will take the same format as the first forum.

Donald Trump Complains Presidential Debate Schedule, Set A Year Ago, Is Rigged For Hillary

GOP White House hopeful Donald Trump is already setting up the foundation for bailing on the three presidential debates, claiming the schedule is rigged in Hillary Clinton's favor.

“As usual, Hillary & the Dems are trying to rig the debates so 2 are up against major NFL games. Same as last time w/ Bernie. Unacceptable!” Trump tweeted Friday night.

Of course, then there's the fact the dates were set a year ago.

From The Hill:

Trump frequently took exception to the handling of the GOP primary debates, going so far as to skip the final event before the Iowa caucus amid a feud with Fox News.

This year’s general election is set to include three presidential and one vice presidential debates, all announced on Sept. 23 of last year by the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates.

Two of the presidential debates do indeed coincide with NFL games: The first, on Monday, Sept. 26, falls the same evening as a matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints. And the second, set for Sunday, Oct. 9, will air opposite a game between the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers.

As usual, Hillary & the Dems are trying to rig the debates so 2 are up against major NFL games. Same as last time w/ Bernie. Unacceptable!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2016

Sen. Bernie Sanders Calls Out #ChickenTrump Over Debate Snub

On last night's edition of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher," Sen. Bernie Sanders was feeling a different kind of "burn" after the possibility of a debate with presumptive GOP White House nominee Donald Trump fizzled.

“First he said he would do it,” Sanders said. “Then he said he wouldn’t do it. Then he said he would do it. Then he said he wouldn’t do it. So I would hope that if he changed his mind four times in two days, [he’d] change it a fifth time. You know, Trump claims to be a real tough guy, pushes people around. Hey, Donald, come on up. Let’s have a debate about the future of America.”

Donald Trump Says Debate With Bernie Would Be "Inappropriate"

Running out of cash in the days running up to the California Democratic primary on June 7th, Sen. Bernie Sanders threw a 'hail Mary' in his attempt to debate GOP nominee Donald Trump.

Trump appeared to take the bait at the time, but later said he was joking.

But Sanders has run full steam ahead hoping for the exposure in lieu of buying expensive TV time in California.

Trump finally put the idea to rest today with this statement:

“Based on the fact that the Democratic nominating process is totally rigged and Crooked Hillary Clinton and Deborah Wasserman Schultz will not allow Bernie Sanders to win, and now that I am the presumptive Republican nominee, it seems inappropriate that I would debate the second place finisher,” Trump said.

“Likewise, the networks want to make a killing on these events and are not proving to be too generous to charitable causes, in this case, women’s health issues. Therefore, as much as I want to debate Bernie Sanders – and it would be an easy payday – I will wait to debate the first place finisher in the Democratic Party, probably Crooked Hillary Clinton, or whoever it may be.”

Moments before Trump's statement was released, Sanders' campaign team told the media that ABC and CBS had offered to make multi-million dollar donations to get the right to air the proposed debate. ABC later confirmed that, but CBS says they made no commitments regarding charitable donation.

Additionally, technology company Traction and Scale offered $10 million to help make the debate happen.

I think most folks never believed Trump would really debate with Bernie.

Senate Democrats Growing Weary Over Bernie Sanders' Trump Debate

Some Senate Democrats are groaning over Sen. Bernie Sanders recent attempt to debate presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump in advance of the California primary on June 7th.

Via Politico:

“Bullshit,” said Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. “That confirms what we’ve been saying. Why would you expect Bernie should be considerate or be nice or be working to bring everyone together? Why? He’s not a Democrat.”

The party’s frustrations are boiling over with Sanders as the primary season winds down: Namely that Sanders seems unwilling or unable to admit that Hillary Clinton is on course for the nomination. The ire toward Sanders began earlier this year among the loudest Democratic cheerleaders for Clinton — and now it’s seeping into nearly the entire Senate Democratic caucus.

Lawmakers reacted with puzzlement, sarcasm and barely veiled anger as Sanders’ campaign and Trump himself played up an event that would exclude Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

“I don’t know why he would do that. I think it’s time to start to winding down the primary,” said Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.). “It’s time to move on.”

“It’s peculiar,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). “It’s all about Bernie trying to get the advantage in California. It’s not going to work.”

Bernie Sanders Accepts Donald Trump's Offer To Debate

During an appearance by Donald Trump on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night, the subject of a final Democratic debate came up.

Sen. Bernie Sanders' campaign wants a one more debate with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton before the June 7th California primary. Clinton has declined.

So, Sanders sent a message via Kimmel to invite the Trumpster to a one-on-one debate before the California primary.

The Donald's answer? "Yes."

“If he paid a sum toward charity I would love to do that,” Trump said. “If I debated him, we would have such high ratings and I think I should take that money and give it to some worthy charity.”

Sanders immediately tweeted that he accepted the invitation, and today his campaign peeps are looking into moving ahead with trying to make it happen.

Game on. I look forward to debating Donald Trump in California before the June 7 primary.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) May 26, 2016

From The Hill:

Bernie Sanders’s campaign manager says “back-channel conversations” are underway with Donald Trump’s staff about setting up a bipartisan debate between the two presidential candidates.

“I think it would benefit voters from across the country and I have to believe it would be one of the most-watched debates in presidential politics,” Jeff Weaver said Thursday on MSNBC.

“Let's see if he has the courage to go one-on-one with Bernie Sanders,” he added.

The Sanders campaign is seeking to ramp up pressure on Trump to follow through on his Wednesday night remarks to late-night talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel.

“The senator wants to do it,” Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs told The Hill. “We’ll see if Trump meant what he said.”

The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

A Trump official earlier Thursday characterized the mogul's remarks as “tongue-in-cheek.”

It's not clear to me if the DNC might have an issue with such a debate between candidates of the two parties when the Democratic candidate hasn't been officially chosen yet.

Update: Donald Trump told reporters today he would be willing to debate Sanders for $10 million for charity.

Bernie Sanders Wants One More Debate

Bernie Sanders campaign wants one final debate with front-runner Hillary Clinton in California ahead of the Golden State's primary on June 7th.

From The Hill:

In a Wednesday afternoon statement, Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver said the Vermont senator has accepted an invitation from Fox News to debate “with the understanding that we can reach mutual agreement on the debate moderators, the format and other details.”

Weaver said both campaigns in January agreed to hold a debate in May in California, adding that the Clinton campaign has “balked at keeping that pledge.”

“More than half way through the month of May, we hope Secretary Clinton will soon make good on her campaign’s commitment and agree to a time and pace for a debate,” Weaver said in the statement.

In my opinion, I can't imagine what voters could learn from one more evening of Bernie sniping at Hillary.

And on Fox News, no less. Clearly, it would be an opportunity for the right-wing news outlet to attack Clinton.

Watch :30 Of GOP Debate As It Devolves Into Chaos

30 seconds of chaos at the GOP debate
Here's where the GOP debate went completely off the rails.
Posted by Ezra Klein on Thursday, February 25, 2016

This is just fascinating. Grown men acting like this trying to win votes?

Wolf Blitzer got terrible reviews for doing practically nothing to moderate the debate.

Very intrigued by Wolf Blitzer's moderating strategy of "do absolutely nothing at any time"

— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) February 26, 2016

This debate could have used a moderator.

— Jeffrey Goldberg (@JeffreyGoldberg) February 26, 2016

These candidates are carpet bombing Wolf Blitzer and taking his oil.

— James Poniewozik (@poniewozik) February 26, 2016

One certain loser tonight: Wolf Blitzer

— Frank Rich (@frankrichny) February 26, 2016

Audience members now just shouting out participation lines from the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) February 26, 2016

Highlights From February 13th Republican Debate

This Republican debate was one of the nastiest.

Posted by POLITICO on Saturday, February 13, 2016

Sen. Ted Cruz Gets Fact-Checked At GOP Debate Over SCOTUS Confirmations

At last night's GOP debate, Sen. Ted Cruz asserted that presidents shouldn't appoint Supreme Court justices in the final year of their terms.

Moderator John Dickerson asked Cruz if he would follow the same restriction should he be elected. What followed was a bit of confusion on Cruz's part and then a crowd booing when facts were introduced.

From Vox:

"Where do you set that date if you're president?" Dickerson asked. "Does does it begin in election year, in December, November, September? And once you set the date, when you're president, will you abide by that date?"

Cruz argued that there were "80 years of precedent" of not confirming Supreme Court justices in an election year. In fact, Justice Anthony Kennedy was confirmed in an election year by a Democratic Congress. Dickerson tried to fact-check Cruz in real time, and the audience was not having it.

"Kennedy was confirmed in '88," Dickerson said.

"In '87," Cruz said. (Kennedy was nominated in 1987 and confirmed in 1988.)

"That's the question, is it appointing or confirming?"

"In this case it's both. If I could finish--" Cruz started.

"I want to get the facts straight for the audience," Dickerson said. The audience promptly booed. "But I apologize."

Donald Trump Wants CNN To Give Him $5 Million To Appear At Next GOP Debate

Donald Trump, currently falling in presidential polls, says he wants CNN to pony up $5 million in order for him to appear at the next GOP debate.

From the Washington Post:

Donald Trump has threatened to charge CNN $5 million for his appearance in the next Republican presidential debate, which the network will host on Dec. 15 in Las Vegas.

“How about we do this for CNN: I won’t do the debate unless they pay me five million dollars, all of which money goes to the wounded warriors or goes to vets?” Trump said Monday night to a crowd of about 5,500 at a rally in this central Georgia town, located about 85 miles south of Atlanta. “I would love to do that.”

Stephen Colbert Breaks Down The "Best" Of The 4th GOP Debate

Stephen Colbert breaks down Tuesday night's GOP debate to hilarious results.

He basically hits the few points that stuck in my mind; although, I do remember waking up Wednesday morning and wondering, "Was anything of importance said on that stage?"

From Raw Story:

He mocked Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who angrily declared he would cut five federal agencies but repeated the Department of Commerce twice after he could name only four that should be eliminated.

“I’m with Sen. Cruz here,” Colbert joked. “I mean, two Departments of Commerce? That is wasteful.”

He also ripped Donald Trump’s plan to deport millions of undocumented immigrants that was modeled after Dwight Eisenhower’s controversial “Operation Wetback.”

“Trump is right — Eisenhower deported over 1 million illegal immigrants back in the 1950s,” Colbert said. “And it must have worked, because Mexicans were never seen here again.”

Hillary Clinton On This Week's GOP Debate Whining

(via PoliticalGroove)

After her marathon 11 hour testimony before Congress, I can imagine Hillary Clinton has little sympathy for the Republican candidates who complained about the questions at their two hour debate this week.

Snork!

Bad Lip Reading: First Democratic Debate

The folks at Bad Lip Reading give the recent Democratic debate the lip-dub treatment.

If you didn't know better, you'd swear it was exactly what they said.

Only much funnier.

Republican National Committee Suspends Debate Partnership With NBC

I just sent this letter to NBC News suspending our partnership for the February Debate: https://t.co/MVke5m2EBm

— Reince Priebus (@Reince) October 30, 2015

Following this week's GOP presidential debate, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus sent a letter to NBC News stating the RNC is “suspending the partnership” with the network regarding a planned February debate.

The letter came in the wake of intense criticism of how the CBNC debate was handled earlier this week.

Priebus wrote that the partnership was suspended “pending further discussion between the RNC and our presidential campaigns.”

NBC has been scheduled to hold a GOP debate February 26 in Houston.

Although CNBC and NBC News are both owned by NBCUniversal, the two are separate entities; they have different management teams and different locations while often sharing and collaborating on news stories.

I watched the CNBC debate, and while I think the candidates over-reacted to the questions asked (many just ignored the questions), I did think the CNBC team wasn't prepared or tightly focused enough to keep control of the event. At times, the moderators didn't seem equipped nor ready with follow up questions.

(source)

First Democratic Debate - Sans Talking

Ok, I think this is clever.

Kind of an "inside the minds of" version of the debate.

(h/t JMG)

Donald Trump Wins In His Debate Demands To CNBC

Yesterday, Carson and Trump informed CNBC in a letter that the length of the debate should be restricted.

A letter from both front runners' campaign read, “Neither Mr. Trump or Dr. Carson will participate in your debate if it is longer than 120 minutes including commercials and does not include opening and closing statements.”

Trump complained that CNN's three hour length was “milking” the debate so CNN could sell more ads.

As you can see from Trump's tweet this morning, CNBC bowed to his wishes.

Other candidates, like Carly Fiorina, pushed for more time saying with 10 candidates it's hard to get any appreciable exposure.

Democratic Presidential Candidate Jim Webb Says Debate Was "Rigged"

Democratic (semi) contender Jim Webb makes it clear he was NOT happy with the time allotted to him at this week's Democratic debate:

“I’ll be very frank here. It was rigged in terms of who was going to get the time on the floor by the way that Anderson Cooper was selecting people to supposedly respond to someone else. I even turned around to Bernie Sanders at one point and said, ‘Bernie, say my name, will you say my name?’ In that kind of environment it was either going to be Mr. Angry or be a potted plant.

"It’s very difficult to win a debate when you don’t have the opportunity to get to speak in the same amount of time on issues as the others get. It’s the reality that the debate was being portrayed as a showdown between Mrs. Clinton and Bernie. But if you are going to be invited to participate and people are going to judge whether you, quote, won or not, at least you should be able to have the kind of time that’s necessary to discuss issues that you care about and have worked on.”