Byron York: Upcoming GOP Debate May Have a ‘National Review Problem’

Byron York writes that the Republican National Committee might want to rethink its pledge to have National Review moderate a 2016 presidential debate.

From the Washington Examiner:

When Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus “suspended” the party’s agreement to hold a debate with NBC on February 26, he took care to say that whether or not NBC was involved, the debate, which was set to include questions from partner National Review, would go on as scheduled.

“While we are suspending our partnership with NBC News and its properties, we still fully intend to have a debate on that day, and will ensure that National Review remains part of it,” Priebus wrote in a letter to NBC.

As the debate approaches, however, it’s likely that critics will raise questions about the participation of National Review, the venerable conservative publication, because of a number of comments made by its writers and editors about Donald Trump. (I should put in a disclaimer high in the story: I worked for National Review from 2001 to 2009 and know, like and respect many of the people involved in this matter.)

To put it mildly, a lot of NR writers don’t like Trump.

…

[I]n perhaps the most notorious hostile analysis of the presidential race so far, National Review editor Rich Lowry said on Fox News in September that rival candidate Carly Fiorina “cut [Trump’s] balls off with the precision of a surgeon” in the second Republican debate. Later, Lowry got into a heated Twitter exchange with Trump, saying, “I thought the Carly cut your balls off line might bother you, but you know it’s true …” and “A deal for you, Donald: if you apologize to Carly for your boorish insult, I might stop noting how she cut your b**** off.”

Read the rest of the story here.