Report: Donald Trump Knowingly Broke the GOP Debate Rules
Donald Trump does not play by the rules, whether it comes to finance, marriage, and the general standards of human decency. Why, then, would we expect him to obey the rules of a presidential debate?
According to CNN’s Dylan Byers, multiple sources have accused the Republican presidential candidate of violating the rules of last Thursday’s Republican debate by conferring with his campaign manager during commercial breaks—an action expressly forbidden by Fox News, which hosted the debate. The candidates had been explicitly told about the rules beforehand. From CNN:
While that exchange was the clearest violation of debate rules to date, the sources said, it followed a pattern: At multiple debates, Trump has consulted with his campaign manager Corey Lewandowski backstage even though it was expressly forbidden by the networks.
Thursday night’s debate in Detroit marked a new extreme, however, as Lewandowski went directly onto the stage to meet with Trump during the commercial break. As in previous debates, Fox News had explicitly informed the campaigns that candidates were not allowed to communicate with their campaign staff during commercial breaks, the sources said.
As is custom in dealing with Trump, the debate moderators threw their hands up and acquiesced. When they couldn’t force Lewandowski off the stage, they told the other candidates that campaign members could come on stage to give them advice, too.
Exactly what was said is unknown, though Byers adds that Trump gave the moderators a fax from the Better Business Bureau showing an “A” grade for Trump University—even though we all know this is simply not true.
But again, this is a man who can’t even resist cheating on a round of golf. What, for the love of all that is good and holy, do we expect?
