Wednesday night’s Republican presidential debate was the fourth of the year. But it was the first to feature moderators from outside of mainstream media—a move that brought fresh questions on important issues for GOP voters, campaign operatives told the Washington Free Beacon.
Free Beacon editor in chief Eliana Johnson moderated the debate alongside SiriusXM’s Megyn Kelly and NewsNation’s Elizabeth Vargas. The inclusion of conservative media figures over their mainstream alternatives—NBC, for example, hosted the third debate last month—brought a “credibility factor to ask those tough questions,” Alabama GOP chairman John Wahl told the Free Beacon.
“I think if we’re going to get competition to the mainstream media, which Republicans very much support, it’s going to take throwing … some of the opportunities to [conservative] networks,” Wahl said. ”So in that regard I think it was very smart by the [Republican National Committee]. I support it.” Asked if he expected to see the committee take a similar approach in future debates, Wahl said, “I think the answer is yes.”
Ron DeSantis campaign official Andrew Romeo, meanwhile, said the RNC’s decision to partner with outlets outside the mainstream led to questions on transgenderism and other issues that left-wing networks treat with contempt.
“Having a conservative debate like that to bring that issue out was important,” Romeo told the Free Beacon.
The RNC in the buildup to the primary said it would move away from the “same old” outlet partners in favor of conservative alternatives, an attempt to build “conservative media up.” Instead, the committee partnered with Univision for the second debate and NBC for the third, prompting right-wing criticism.
That changed last month, when the RNC announced its partners for the fourth debate. The Free Beacon‘s debate partnership with Kelly and NewsNation, Johnson said in a Nov. 9 statement, aimed to “offer the candidates a debate platform outside of the mainstream media echo chamber and to give Republican primary voters a debate where conservative ideas and values will be the terrain and not the target.”
For Mark Harris, who leads a super PAC supporting former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, that effort was a successful one.
“I thought all the moderators did a great job … bringing to the fore, you know, the major issues from a Republican primary voter perspective,” Harris said. “Clearly a lot of Republicans and Republican primary voters read the Free Beacon. … So I think it’s a great opportunity to reach more voters.”
Chris Christie campaign adviser Doug Mayer echoed Harris’s rhetoric, calling the Free Beacon‘s participation in the debate “healthy.”
“I think it’s great,” Mayer said. “I think mainstream media—it’s an old term. … I think conservative outlets like NewsNation and the Free Beacon are playing a bigger role. And I think that’s healthy.”
Alec Schemmel and Meghan Blonder contributed to this report.
Why was the topic of transgenderism given significant attention in this conservative debate?
> and view it as a reputable source of information. So, I think having a moderator from the Free Beacon was significant in bringing some legitimacy to the debate.”
The inclusion of moderators from conservative and independent media outlets not only brought a fresh perspective to the debate but also allowed for more in-depth discussion on important issues. One of the topics that received significant attention was transgenderism, an issue that is often disregarded or treated with contempt by left-wing networks.
Andrew Romeo, a campaign official for Ron DeSantis, commended the decision to have a conservative debate that brought attention to the issue. He recognized the importance of discussing such topics and giving conservative ideas a platform to be heard.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) had previously stated its intention to move away from mainstream media outlets and instead partner with conservative alternatives in an effort to build up conservative media. However, the committee faced criticism for its choice of partners, including Univision and NBC, in the earlier debates.
With the announcement of the partnership between the RNC and moderators from the Free Beacon, SiriusXM, and NewsNation for the fourth debate, the committee aimed to provide a platform outside of the mainstream media echo chamber. The goal was to prioritize conservative ideas and values rather than subjecting them to criticism and targeting.
The decision to include moderators from conservative and independent media outlets was met with praise from Mark Harris, who leads a super PAC supporting Nikki Haley. He commended the moderators for bringing forth the major issues from the perspective of Republican primary voters. The presence of a moderator from the Free Beacon was particularly significant, as many Republicans view the publication as a reputable and trustworthy source of information.
Overall, the inclusion of moderators from conservative and independent media outlets in the fourth Republican presidential debate brought a credibility factor and allowed for more robust discussions on important issues. It provided an alternative to the mainstream media’s approach and gave conservative ideas the platform they deserve. This decision has garnered support from GOP voters and campaign operatives, indicating that similar approaches may be expected in future debates.
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