Donald Trump and Ben Carson may boycott next TV debate

Republican presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Ben Carson, are threatening to boycott the next GOP debate because of its proposed format. This is a rare political alliance between the leading outsider candidates.

In a joint letter to CNBC’s Washington bureau chief, the billionaire businessman and the retired neurosurgeon told the hosting network they would not appear at the October 28 debate, unless it was capped at two hours, with commercials, and the candidates were allowed to speak directly to the camera at its opening and close.

Ed Brookover, a senior Carson campaign strategist, said the campaigns were caught off-guard when CNBC sent them an email, this week, outlining debate rules, to which the candidates had not agreed.