As soon as the CNBC GOP debate was finished Wednesday night, an angry Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus went on the attack, accusing the moderators of asking "gotcha questions" and fostering a "hostile" environment.
In a statement, Priebus said the "performance by the CNBC moderators was extremely disappointing and did a disservice to their network, our candidates, and voters." He then went to Twitter, where he announced that CNBC should "be ashamed of how this debate was handled," and said in the future, he will "fight to ensure future debates allow for a more robust exchange." Other conservatives on Twitter agreed that the debate was a disaster, but they pinned some of the blame on him.
Priebus' comments echoed those made during the debate by the candidates themselves, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Donald Trump. Cruz said the questions they were asked lacked substance and illustrated "why the American people don't trust the media," while Trump accused one moderator of asking Mike Huckabee a "nasty" question.
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