One day after telling the Republican Party presidential candidates they needed to take a “time out” from their vitriolic rhetoric, evangelist Franklin Graham said the media has a role to play, as well.
“The presidential candidates aren’t the only ones who need to refocus and put a stop to the undignified mud-slinging,” he said Thursday morning. “The media has a role in this as well. Those moderating the debates, for both parties, also need to fully focus on the important issues facing our nation.”
He urged the media to “drop the antagonizing questions” that are only meant to pit candidates against each other, rather than how they will address the problems at hand.
“Don’t fuel the fires of hostility and incivility,” he said. “Don’t waste this debate time for the American people. These are presidential debates, not reality television. Take it up a few notches.”
FOX News Channel will be televising Thursday night’s debate, which will be held in Detroit’s famed Fox Theater. The debate, which will begin at 9 p.m. EST, will feature FNC hosts Chris Wallace, Megyn Kelly, and Brett Baier as moderators.
Dr. Ben Carson, who is in the process of ending his campaign, will not take part, leaving just four candidates on the stage in his hometown. They are: businessman Donald Trump, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
