Trump reacts with fury after Democrats block Fox News from hosting party's 2020 primary debates
Democratic National Committee says network's 'inappropriate relationship' with president casts doubts over its ability to host 'fair and neutral debate'
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Your support makes all the difference.The Democratic Party has announced it will block Fox News from hosting its candidates’ political debates ahead of the US presidential election, citing concerns about the broadcaster’s ties to Donald Trump.
Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman Tom Perez said a recent New Yorker expose on the “inappropriate relationship” between the president and the right-wing network had cast doubt on its ability to host “fair and neutral” political coverage.
“Therefore, Fox News will not serve as a media partner for the 2020 Democratic primary debates,” he added.
Mr Trump responded with an angry tweet indicating he may boycott certain debates.
“Democrats just blocked Fox News from holding a debate,” he wrote. “Good, then I think I’ll do the same thing with the Fake News Networks and the Radical Left Democrats in the General Election debates!”
Fox News said it hoped Democrats would reconsider its decision.
The New Yorker report, published on Monday, claimed that Fox News knew about Mr Trump’s alleged affair with pornographic film actor Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election, but killed the story because the broadcaster’s owner Rupert Murdoch wanted him to win.
The article, by veteran journalist Jane Mayer, also cited unnamed sources who claimed Mr Trump was fed questions ahead of a Fox-sponsored debate in 2015 – a charge the network strongly denied.
An expert in presidential studies quoted in the story described Fox News as the "closest we've come to having state TV".
Fox is the America’s most-watched cable TV network, with many of its viewers avid fans of Mr Trump.
US presidential debates are usually broadcast by networks who secure exclusive rights.
Fox was among the broadcasters who pitched to host one of the 12 Democratic primaries currently scheduled.
Bill Sammon, senior vice-president and managing editor of Fox's Washington bureau, said he hoped the party would reconsider the ban and allow a debate moderated by its hosts Chris Wallace, Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.
"They're the best debate team in the business and they offer candidates an important opportunity to make their case to the largest TV news audience in America, which includes many persuadable voters," he added.
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