How Donald Trump broke Fox News' debate rules

[sinkspur]

http://money.cnn.com/2016/03/05/media/donald-trump-fox-debate-rules/index.html

How Donald Trump broke Fox News' debate rules
 
by Dylan Byers   @CNNMoney

March 5, 2016: 10:40 AM ET   

Donald Trump consulted with his campaign manager during the first commercial break at Thursday night's Republican debate, violating ground rules from Fox News stating that candidates would not be allowed to have contact with their campaigns, rival campaign sources told CNNMoney.

While that exchange was the clearest violation of debate rules to date, the sources said, it followed a pattern: At multiple debates, Trump has consulted with his campaign manager Corey Lewandowski backstage even though it was expressly forbidden by the networks.

Thursday night's debate in Detroit marked a new extreme, however, as Lewandowski went directly onto the stage to meet with Trump during the commercial break. As in previous debates, Fox News had explicitly informed the campaigns that candidates were not allowed to communicate with their campaign staff during commercial breaks, the sources said.

When Lewandowski was asked by Fox News staff to leave the stage, he refused to do so, according to a source at Fox News.
Lewandowski and Trump campaign spokesperson Hope Hicks did not respond to requests for comment.

Unable to get Lewandowski off the stage, Fox News representatives informed the other three campaigns that, because the Trump campaign had broken the rules, they too could consult with their candidates. Representatives from the Ted Cruz and John Kasich campaigns immediately made the trek to the backstage wings, while a senior adviser to Marco Rubio did so later.

The Cruz and Kasich aides were on hand backstage to advise their candidates for all of the remaining commercial breaks, while Rubio's adviser was on hand for the last half of the debate. However, the aides spent little time interacting with their candidates, the sources said. The one exception was Rubio aide Todd Harris, who consulted with his candidate during the final commercial break.

Exactly what Trump and Lewandowski discussed is unclear, though at one point during a break Trump handed the Fox News moderators a fax from the Better Business Bureau showing that they had upgraded their rating for Trump University to an "A" grade -- a point that Trump had tried to make repeatedly while being asked to defend the "D-" rating that the University received in 2010

[sinkspur]

Rules are for little people.

And the military will do what I say.  They'll obey.  I'll make 'em.  That's what leaders do.

[Sanguine]

Isn't that what people supporting Trump want, someone who doesn't play by the rules?

[Lando Lincoln]

" I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

[GourmetDan]

" I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

I think Bammy has pretty much poisoned that well over the last 7 years...

[Carling]

It's funny that the TDSers think this is a negative for Trump.

The GOoPers' rules also state that you don't attack Obama and you cave in on the Omnibus.

Will Trump go 5 for 5 today?   

[Sanguine]

It's funny that the TDSers think this is a negative for Trump.

The GOoPers' rules also state that you don't attack Obama and you cave in on the Omnibus.

Will Trump go 5 for 5 today?   

This wasn't a GOP rule, Carling.  Trump could have refused to appear, as he has before, or he could have been honorable and said upfront, I'm not going to abide by your rules, but he did neither.  He just decided the rules weren't for him.

Oh, and when you say TDS, you are talking about those who mindlessly parrot a POV, regardless of the facts to the contrary, right?

[katzenjammer]

I like the rule that states that all candidates remain silent when a chosen candidate, that has been called upon by the moderators to speak and/or answer a question, has the floor.  The way in which that rule was enforced so uniformly was amazing.  It prevented the "debate" from falling into the same type of unwatchable mayhem like so many FNC shows are, where there are four or more people shouting over each other at the same time.

[A-Lert]

I think Bammy has pretty much poisoned that well over the last 7 years...

And the GOP as a whole was complicit.

[GourmetDan]

And the GOP as a whole was complicit.

So to bring it up now as an argument against Trump is rather duplicitous... no?

[A-Lert]

So to bring it up now as an argument against Trump is rather duplicitous... no?

Yes and irrational.

[Paladin]

Is this today's Scandal du jour? It's kinda weak. Surely the anti-Trumpsters can come up with something much better before day's end.