Staff Reports
What on earth was Fox News thinking? That’s the question that comes to mind after watching last night’s Republican primary debate. Sure, there were a few standout candidates, like Ron DeSantis and Doug Burgam, but overall, the production was a mess. And it all goes back to the moderators. Fox News made the inexplicable decision to allow Univision’s Ilia Calderón to be a moderator, and it felt like watching an MSNBC show at times.
One particularly egregious moment was when Calderón tried to blame American citizens for the fentanyl crisis, instead of holding Mexico and China accountable. This is a talking point straight out of Kamala Harris’s playbook, not something you expect to hear at a Republican debate. It’s insulting and disgusting to blame individuals struggling with addiction, while letting the cartels and the nations that support them off the hook. And let’s not forget Calderón’s defense of the Mexican government and her dismissal of candidates suggesting military action against the drug cartels.
But it wasn’t just Calderón who did a terrible job. The other moderators also failed to manage the stage, and Dana Perino’s attempt to turn the debate into a game of Survivor was beyond ridiculous. This is why people are turning away from Fox News. We want real substance, not manufactured drama. We need a conservative news network that stays true to its principles, instead of turning into another CNN. Thankfully, Ron DeSantis was there to shut down the nonsense.
It’s time for Fox News and the RNC to do some soul-searching. We understand the desire to appeal to a broad audience, but compromising our values is not the answer. Including illegal immigration advocates as moderators and framing questions from a left-wing perspective is not acceptable. We need a Republican Party that stands strong and a news organization that reports the truth. It’s not controversial to say that.
