Former President Donald Trump should agree to debate only if, and that's if, no journalists are involved, political strategist Dick Morris said on Newsmax Sunday.
"What he should say is [he] will participate in debate under only one condition, 'I don't want Fox News or CNN anyway near it'," Morris, the host of Newsmax's "Dick Morris Democracy," said on "Sunday Report."
Morris added that the preference instead would be not to have any journalists moderating and asking questions but to let the candidates agree on the topics and time limits "and then let it fly like the Lincoln-Douglass debates."
"If you won't do it that way, no debate," said Morris.
He also ridiculed a demand that Trump pledge not to participate in any debates not sanctioned by the Republican National Committee.
"Well, the hell with them," said Morris. "Get lost."
He also suggested that RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel "debate herself" rather than Trump being involved, as he is "way ahead" of the other candidates in the polls.
"If he is going to debate them, why should he let Fox News sponsor the debate?" he said. "Fox News is wholly owned by Rupert Murdoch, who hates Trump and will do anything he can to screw him up in that debate. He's already been through one sparring session with Megyn Kelly and another sparring session with Chris Wallace, and neither of them are running for president."
But Trump is running, but he ends up "having to fight off the reporters" when in the debates.
Morris also on Sunday criticized the campaign of Trump's main competition, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, as not having a "theme."
"He doesn't have a reason for running," said Morris, pointing to Trump's record over DeSantis'
"Trump has taken on Putin. Kim Jong Un, Xi Jinping, the leaders of Russia and North Korea and China. And what has DeSantis done? He's fought with Mickey Mouse."
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.