MSNBC host Chris Matthews used Donald Trump's decision to boycott the final GOP presidential debate before the Iowa caucuses to rip the event's sponsor, Fox News, and two of Trump's main challengers, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

"Who's going to watch a debate between the two Cuban guys?" the "Hardball" anchor asked on Jan. 26, in reference to the two lawmakers, both of whom have a Cuban-American heritage. "Who's gonna watch a debate between Rubio -- Marco Rubio -- and Ted Cruz? Who cares?"

Last November, the liberal host had already gone after the two senators by suggesting that they could not be accurately described as Hispanic but should instead be deemed "Cuban nationals," News Busters recalled.

Matthews says debate without Trump 'meaningless'

This time around, Matthews predicted that the Fox News encounter would be meaningless without the participation of Trump, who for months has led national polls and continues to hold an almost 17 percentage point advantage in the latest Real Clear Politics average of nationwide surveys.

Rubio and Cruz have "been sort of fighting in this little interleague fight over who's the hawkish guy, or whatever," Matthews quipped. "Who is going to watch that Thursday night? Maybe I'm building it up too much."

Fox News has insisted on Kelly as moderator

Trump's decision not to attend the final debate before primary voting kicks off is a result of his long running feud with Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, who the real-estate tycoon claims did not treat him fairly during the GOP's first such encounter last August.

The news channel, for its part, accused the billionaire of vicious attacks on Kelly and insisted it would not cave in to his demands to remove her as a moderator. Such a step would "violate all journalistic standards," Fox News argued.

Matthews' own channel, MSNBC, meanwhile, has yet to host a debate this election season. Its parent network NBC, however, hosted the last Democratic presidential debate on Jan. 17.

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