The Republican National Committee officials voted to ban CNN and NBC from the 2016 presidential primary debates if they air planned programs about Hillary Clinton .
The resolution was passed at the party’s annual summer meeting in Boston. Along with banning the two networks, the group also called the planned programs an attempt to put ” a thumb on the scales” for the next president election.
GOP chair Reince Priebus initially sent a letter to both networks on August 5 , telling them to stop their plans for both programs, reports USA Today.
Priebus added that they would face GOP action if they didn’t. NBC News responded by saying their fictionalized biography is being developed by the entertainment division, not the news division.
CNN also asked the group to put their judgement on hold until their documentary is farther along. But it appears the RNC didn’t wait. Spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski added that the ban extends to NBC’s cable networks and Telemundo and CNN Espanol.
The Washington Post notes that the networks don’t need the RNC’s permission to host debates. However, the resolution approved on Friday would likely result in state party officials and other conservative organizations to stop their sponsorships of debates. They could also not sanction or attend the debates, if held by CNN or NBC.
Officials with the New Hampshire Republican Party have already said that the RNC “was right to raise concerns” about the upcoming Hillary Clinton pieces. The group agreed that it wouldn’t partner with CNN or NBC.
CNN released a statement on Friday after the vote that it was continuing work on the documentary and that it is “in the very early stages of development.” The network added that it encouraged everyone interested in the Clinton documentary to wait until it premiered before making judgments. However, they went on to say, “The RNC was not willing to do that.”
Do you think the RNC is right to ban CNN and NBC from 2016 presidential debates for the upcoming programs on Hillary Clinton?