The Republican National Committee has dumped National Review from the Feb. 25 GOP debate after the magazine
published a scathing editorial against Donald Trump.
RNC Spokesman Sean Spicer told
Buzzfeed News that the magazine was dumped as a sponsor of the debate in Houston, saying "a debate moderator can't have a predisposition."
Jack Fowler, publisher of National Review, wrote a
short blog item late Thursday:
"Tonight, a top official with the RNC called me to say that National Review was being disinvited. The reason: Our 'Against Trump' editorial and symposium. We expected this was coming. Small price to pay for speaking the truth about The Donald."
The Houston debate was already the subject of controversy earlier this week when
the RNC dumped NBC as broadcaster in the wake of the much-criticized Oct. 28 debate aired by NBC's CNBC cable network.
The RNC replaced NBC with CNN as the broadcaster and changed the date from Feb. 26 to Feb. 25.
With National Review dropped from the debate, CNN's remaining partners are Salem Radio and Telemundo.
The magazine Thursday night posted online its editorial outlining why Donald Trump is "a menace to conservatism," along with essays from 22 conservative leaders arguing that Trump is not fit to lead the nation. It also will be in the conservative journal's Feb. 15 print edition, which goes to press Wednesday.
The GOP front-runner wasted no time in firing back
late Thursday against the mag.
Trump called it a "failing" publication — the same criticism he leveled at the
New Hampshire Union Leader when it attacked him last month in a front-page editorial — and said the magazine's late founder "would be ashamed."
Despite recent attacks from conservatives against Trump, there doesn't seem to be any impact on the mogul's campaign or popularity. Polls show him either in a dead heat with Ted Cruz in Iowa, or, as
CNN's latest showed, some 11 points ahead.
Trump is leading in New Hampshire, too, with a comfortable lead over nearest rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich. A new
Zogby poll puts Trump 32 points ahead of Cruz nationally.