Fox News anchor asks Tom Perez to reconsider DNC debate ban on the air

A Fox News interview on Monday morning unexpectedly turned into a debate about Fox News itself.

Anchor Bill Hemmer on Monday spoke with DNC Chair Tom Perez, and he ended the interview by asking if Perez would reconsider hosting Democratic debates on the network, per The Daily Beast. Perez said in March that the Democratic National Committee won't partner with Fox for 2020 debates due to its "inappropriate relationship" with President Trump, as had been described in a recent piece in The New Yorker.

In light of this, Hemmer asked on Monday, "Will you reconsider your decision on having debates here on the Fox News channel?" The anchor clearly didn't get the response he was looking for, with Perez responding, "You know what, Bill, here's why we won't do that: because I don't have faith in your leadership at Fox News at the senior levels." Perez told Hemmer that he has respect for him and others like Bret Baier but argued that Fox doesn't "trust" its own viewers and that its senior leadership has "pierced that line between editorial and your Sean Hannity shows."

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Hemmer argued with Perez about this in a weirdly meta exchange, saying there's a "line" between the network's prime-time opinion shows and the news shows that air earlier in the day. "It's like reading a newspaper, Tom," Hemmer said. Hemmer closed the interview not satisfied with Perez's answer, telling him one last time, "I really hope you reconsider." Based on what Perez said, Hemmer probably shouldn't hold his breath. Watch the exchange via The Daily Beast below. Brendan Morrow