Sean Spicer: The RNC Does Not Control What Debate Moderators Say

Anybody who thinks the Republican National Committee puts words in debate moderators' mouths "is crazy," Sean Spicer, who has been named as the group's chief strategist and communications director said Monday.

"The candidates have confidence in the what the RNC is doing," Spicer told CNN's "New Day" host Alisyn Camerota, admitting that last week's CNBC debate was "a complete disaster."

"I think our candidates are rightly upset," he commented. "They expected a debate on the economy and on financial matters and it wasn't [one]."

Debates are held to allow candidates to show their vision and why they are seeking office, said Spicer, and it's the RNC's job to make sure the candidates can do that.

On Sunday, campaign representatives for most of the campaigns met in Washington to outline a set of demands for upcoming debates, but many are blaming the RNC. Spicer, though, said that the candidates do believe the RNC is supporting them, but they want to be more involved in the debate format.

"The candidates should be involved in understanding and negotiating with the networks the best format they agree upon," said Spicer. "That's their role. That's something that we advocate for. So when it comes to the organization of it, the calendar, the sanctioning, the logistics of it, all of that is with the RNC in which it should be."

The new rules reportedly won't apply to next week's debate on the Fox Business Network, and there has been some speculation that it is because the candidates don't want to anger Fox Chairman Roger Ailes.

But Spicer denied that.

"Clearly, they feel like the format that Fox has given them is fine, from what I understand," he said.

"But again, that's up to them to decide. It's not for us to tell them what's good and what's bad. It's for them to tell us what the format is they want and for us to be able to advocate on their behalf for them to have an open channel of communication with the networks."

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