CNN issued a statement Monday afternoon about the Republican National Committee's threat to block it from the 2016 debate process unless it canceled a planned film about Hillary Clinton.
RNC chair Reince Priebus vowed to ban both CNN and NBC News, whose sister division is making a mini-series about Clinton, if they went ahead with the projects. Priebus said the programs were akin to an "in-kind donation" for the Democrats.
In its statement, CNN predictably did not immediately agree to drop its documentary. Instead, it issued a challenge to the RNC, saying it should "reserve judgment" about the documentary and should avoid doing voters a "disservice" by limiting the debates:
CNN Films, a division of CNN Worldwide, commissioned a documentary about Hillary Clinton earlier this year. It is expected to premiere in 2014 with a theatrical run prior to airing on CNN. This documentary will be a non-fiction look at the life of a former First Lady and Secretary of State. Instead of making premature decisions about a project that is in the very early stages of development and months from completion, we would encourage the members of the Republican National Committee to reserve judgment until they know more. Should they decide not to participate in debates on CNN, we would find it curious, as limiting their debate participation seems to be the ultimate disservice to voters.
Related
Before You Go
