Pete Buttigieg might be the next Democrat to buck the Fox News boycott
Another 2020 Democrat is looking to book a Fox News event, even as the chair of the Democratic National Committee continues to blast the network.
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg is in talks to hold a town hall on Fox News, The Hill and NBC News reported on Tuesday. This comes a day after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) participated in his own Fox News town hall, although The Daily Beast 's Scott Bixby reports that Buttigieg has been in talks a Fox event for "more than a month."
Sanders' town hall was especially noteworthy after the DNC's decision to bar Fox from hosting 2020 debates. DNC Chair Tom Perez cited the network's "inappropriate relationship" with President Trump, saying it would be unable to put on a "fair and neutral debate." Sanders was the first of the 2020 Democrats to participate in a Fox News town hall, The Hill notes. It drew 2.55 million viewers, making it the highest-rated town hall of the year, per The Washington Post's Paul Farhi.
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DNC Chair Tom Perez has said that it's okay for Democrats to still make appearances on Fox News like Sanders did, though, saying this is "a far cry from hosting debates," per the San Francisco Chronicle. Perez himself appeared on Fox recently and chided the network after anchor Bill Hemmer asked him to reconsider the debate ban.
Some Democrats have criticized 2020 candidates for still appearing on Fox News, with Dan Pfeiffer, former adviser to former President Barack Obama, writing that "putting an imprimatur of legitimacy on one of the most destructive forces in American politics has long-term consequences." Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tim Ryna (D-Ohio) on Tuesday both said they'd be open to Fox News town halls as well, The Daily Beast reports.
Although Buttigieg's potential Fox News town hall is not yet official, a spokesperson told The Hill that "reaching out to the Fox audience is something we intend to do."
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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