Donald Trump doesn’t want to have to take part in another three-hour Republican debate. And he’s making it clear that he would boycott the upcoming CNBC debate if there aren’t more ground rules set. To make matters even more interesting, Ben Carson has also lashed out against the network.
Trump, who continues to lead the polls among voters, blasted CNBC’s decision to leave the candidate’s opening and closing statements without a time limit as well as other factors in a series of tweets. In fact, the real estate mogul has teamed up with Dr. Ben Carson, another top presidential contender, to pen a letter to the channel.
“Mr. Trump and Dr. Carson do agree to a 120-minute debate that includes commercial breaks and opening and closing statements. Mr. Trump and Dr. Carson do not, and will not, agree to appear at a debate that is more than 120 minutes long including commercial breaks,” according to the two candidates’ reps to Matthew Cuddy, CNBC’s Washington bureau chief.
Per CNBC in a statement to Deadline:
Our goal is to host the most substantive debate possible practice in the past has been to forego opening statements to allow more time to address the critical issues that matter most to the American people. We started a dialogue yesterday with all of the campaigns involved and we will certainly take the candidates’ views on the format into consideration as we finalize the debate structure.
Here’s what Trump took to social media to say:
The @GOP should not agree to the ridiculous debate terms that @CNBC is asking unless there is a major benefit to the party.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 15, 2015
.@CNBC is pushing the @GOP around by asking for extra time (and no criteria) in order to sell more commercials.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 15, 2015
The @GOP should not agree to the ridiculous debate terms that @CNBC is asking unless there is a major benefit to the party.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 15, 2015
Notably, it’s likely that Trump is taking so much issue with the debate’s format and potential length given that he appeared somewhat tired and listless by the end of the last debate in September.