LOS ANGELES.–CNN has a tall order to fill when they sponsor the first presidential debate June 27, already receiving criticism for the host’s bias against 78-year-old former President Donald Trump. Hosting the debate, 55-year-old Jake Tapper and 53-year-old Dana Bash haven’t been shy over the years expressing their strong dislike for Trump, something that could play to Trump’s favor in the upcoming debate. If the audience sees any noticeable bias against Trump, it will wreck 81-year-old President Joe Biden’s debate performance, making it look contrived, but, more importantly, reflecting undeniable bias. If the debate is seen as a three-on-one pile on Trump then Biden will have lost the debate. CNN host Kasie Hunt abruptly ended an interview with Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt for asking whether or not Tapper and Bash could be fair in the debate.
CNN’s reputation precedes it when it comes to its views on Trump. Not one host or pundit has anything positive to say about Trump when it first starting report when he announced for president in 2015. CNN’s hosts and pundits rely heavily on anti-Trump Republicans like Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Ut.) or former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wy.) both have personal vendettas with the former president. CNN has no problem putting on convicted felons like former Atty. Michael Avenatti [currently in jail] and former Trump personal Atty. Michael Cohen, now a disbarred, disgraced former lawyer. “That’s why President Trump is knowingly going into a hostile environment on this very network, on CNN, with debate moderators who have made their opinions about him very well known over the past eight years. And their biased coverage of him,” said Leavitt.
CNN’s Hunt took umbrage at Leavitt’s concerns about her CNN colleagues Tapper and Bash showing extreme prejudice against Trump. “So, I’ll just say my colleagues, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, have acquitted themselves as professionals as they have covered campaigns and interviewed candidates from all sides of the aisle. I’ll also say that if you talk to analysts of previous debates, that if you’re attacking the moderators, you’re usually losing,” Hunt told Leavitt. Why Hunt was so defensive is anyone’s guess. There’s no question that Tapper and Bash have spoken disparagingly about Trump over the years, just like all CNN hosts and pundits. Hunt should have told Leavitt how things would be different this time around when Trump faces the CNN debate June 27. Hunt wanted to talk about the upcoming debate, when Leavitt wanted to talk about potential anti-Trump bias.
Hunt cut Leavitt off and ended the interview, thinking that the more Leavitt talked the more it made CNN look like a biased news outlet. “Ma’am, I’m going to stop this interview if you’re going to continue to attack my colleagues,” Hunt told Leavitt. Tapper and Bash are perfectly capable off responding, defending themselves or not, depending on their own responses. “I would like to talk about Joe Biden and Donald Trump, whom you work for,” Hunt said. What was Leavitt saying about Tapper and Bash that was in any way unusual. CNN routinely bashes Trump, hewing closely to the Democrat Party or White House line. Leavitt had a good point wondering what CNN would do differently in the June 27 debate to assure that both sides get a fair hearing. Trump has every right to question how he’ll be treated based on a long history of personal bias and animus.
Hunt knows she works for an anti-Trump network, whose ratings are all linked to bashing Trump on a daily basis. So when one of Trump’s folks asked how they can moderate a debate in an unbiased way, it’s a perfectly reasonable question. Yet CNN treated Leavitt’s questions as a ploy by the Trump camp, trying to gain an unfair advantage going into the debate. Much has been said about Trump saying now that Biden is a formidable opponent, not taking him lightly. Trump said he watched Biden’s performance in 2012 debate former GOP nominee Sen. Mitt Romney’s (R-Ut.) running mate Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). Trump said Biden cleaned Ryan’s clock, handily winning the debate in 2012. Trump knows that Biden is not the same person is was 12-years ago, has been facing GOP criticism that he shows signs of cognitive decline, something confirmed by former Special Counsel Robert Hur.
CNN pretends it’s a credentialed news organization when it mirrors the Democrat Party’s politics, often disparaging Republicans. When it comes to Trump, only fellow Democrat outlet MSNBC has the same hatred of Trump and everything he stands for. MSNBC hosts would prefer four more years of Biden over Trump, even if it meant starting WW III or nuclear war. CNN and MSNBC are most vociferous anti-Trump outlets, bashing everything Trump stands for, especially on immigration reform. Trump proposes returning to the strict border policies, deporting or incarcerating as many undocumented immigrants as possible. “I’m sorry guys, we’re going to come back out to the panel,” Hunt said after cutting Leavitt off. CNN would be better off disclosing honestly its undeniable anti-Trump bias, rather than having Hunt defend Tapper and Bash’s professionalism.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
