Mercedes Schlapp Claims Newsmax Will Have ‘Very Fair’ GOP Debate – Right After Trump’s Daughter-in-Law Hosted a Show on the Network

 

Newsmax guest Mercedes Schlapp said Republican presidential candidates should agree to participate in a debate on the network because each will be given a fair shake. Her comment came on a show that immediately followed The Balance, which was guest-hosted by Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of former President and current candidate Donald Trump.

On Friday’s edition of The Right Squad, host Chris Plante cited a remark by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is challenging Trump for the Republican nomination.

“And Ron DeSantis – I pronounce it, ‘deh-santis,'” stated Plante – alluding to the former president’s attacks on DeSantis for his inconsistent pronunciations of his last name – “said ‘corporate media… shouldn’t be involved in our process because they’re hostile to us as Republicans.'”

“Should Republicans boycott certain networks, Mercy?” Plante asked.

“Yes, absolutely,” she replied. “They should. The networks, so many of them have done what they can to sabotage Republicans over and over again. It’s never a fair process, you know, especially when you look at an MSNBC or CNN. Tell me, which Republican primary voter is actually watching any of those two leftist networks?”

Schlapp went on to say a Newsmax debate would be “very fair” to all candidates.

“It absolutely makes sense for Newsmax to have a presidential primary debate,” she continued. “It would be a very fair process, I think, for all the candidates. And it’s where you have a lot of the Republican primary voters watching right now. And I would mix it up with conservative radio and some of these outlets that are you know, these print outlets that are more center-right.”

Less than an hour before Schlapp’s comment, Lara Trump wrapped up her hosting gig on The Balance, where she said the country “absolutely” needs her father-in-law back in the White House. She aired footage of DeSantis snapping at a reporter on Thursday.

“We absolutely need Donald Trump back,” she later said. “That is my take.”

She helmed the show days after Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) guest-hosted Greg Kelly Reports on Monday and last Friday. Gaetz has also endorsed the former president in 2024.

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Mike is a Mediaite senior editor who covers the news in primetime. Follow him on Bluesky.