CNN to Trump: No $5M for debate appearance — boycott if you like

Is CNN cruising for a ratings brusing? The network’s top exec said Thursday he won’t meet Donald Trump’s demand for $5 million to a veterans charity to appear in its Dec. 15 Republican presidential debate.

“We do not pay candidates to appear” on the cable network, CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker said Thursday, replying to a question by BuzzFeed’s Ben Smith at the Paley Center for Media.

Trump has made demands before but still showed up for the debate. No word from the billionaire on the latest boycott promise.

Meanwhile, the Twitter star announced he would reveal details on his health:

As a presidential candidate, I have instructed my long-time doctor to issue, within two weeks, a full medical report-it will show perfection

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2015

Variety also reported:

“BuzzFeed’s Smith chided Zucker over the amount of time the network has devoted to the real-estate mogul, asking if Zucker felt responsible for the candidate’s popularity. He also asked if Zucker felt CNN should call Trump out for remarks he has made about different races and classes of people.”

“I don’t think it’s our role to take a point of view,” Zucker is quoted as saying. “It’s our role to report what he says, what he does, to fact check what he says and what he does. It’s not our role to build up a campaign or take down a campaign.”