During a Fox News interview on Monday morning, Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez attacked the network’s leadership and editorial policies after anchor Bill Hemmer asked him if the DNC might reconsider banning the network from hosting any 2020 Democratic presidential primary debates. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders is scheduled to appear Monday night on Fox for a town-hall event.



"Will you reconsider your decision on having debates on the Fox News Channel?" Hemmer asked.





"Here is why we won’t do that," Perez replied. "Because I don’t have faith in your leadership at Fox News at the senior levels."



"I have great respect for Bret [Baier] and for Chris [Wallace] and for you," the DNC chair continued. "But you’ve demonstrated that, above your pay grade, they don’t trust your own listeners and so they feel like they have to put the thumb on the scale."



Perez argued that many FOX News anchors and the "senior leadership at FOX News" have "pierced that line between editorial and your Sean Hannity shows."



"You know there is a line between what we do at 9:00 and what happens in the prime time," Hemmer replied. "It's like reading a newspaper, Tom. And it has been the same way for a long time. I really hope you come back. I really hope you reconsider. We’ll give you a fair shake."



"I hope you have a good conversation with the people at the top to say, ‘Don’t do that,’" Perez told Hemmer.