Ex-CNN Host Chris Cuomo Says Network’s Moderators Didn’t Fact Check Trump Because They Got Bullied
NewsNation host Chris Cuomo suggested on Monday that the moderators of CNN’s first presidential debate didn’t fact-check former President Donald Trump because they were successfully bullied by the Trump campaign.
During an appearance on Cuomo’s show, NewsNation correspondent Geraldo Rivera criticized CNN moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash for not fact-checking Trump’s “outright lying” during Thursday’s debate.
“The exaggeration and the outright lying in the debate, he should have had his chops busted in real time,” protested Rivera. “Why didn’t, you know, the anchors say, ‘Wait a second, President Trump, that’s not a fact. In fact, it’s a lie’?”
Cuomo – who was fired from CNN in December 2021 – replied, “Because he worked the refs, Geraldo, that’s why. Because they spent weeks beating up on CNN’s moderators and it worked, and they wound up doing a no fact-check thing because they didn’t want the drama, because people are susceptible to the criticism.”
He continued, “In this business, you’re one of the few major celebrities in the history of media, where people know you not just by your full name, but by your first name. You’re like Madonna. But for most of us, we don’t like being named. Jake Tapper doesn’t like being held out for being anti-Trump, and I think you saw it reflected in how they conducted themselves on Thursday night.”
CNN received criticism from liberals for declining to fact-check Trump’s remarks live during Thursday’s debate. Those defending Tapper and Bash have argued that the point of a debate is for the candidates to argue over ideas, and that fact-checking Trump is a fool’s errand that only results in a shouting match.
CNN’s defended the format of its debate in a statement: “The role of the moderators is to present the candidates with questions that are important to American voters and to facilitate a debate, enabling candidates to make their case and challenge their opponent. It is up to the candidates to challenge one another in a debate. CNN offered robust fact checking coverage in post-debate analysis on TV and across our digital platforms during and following the debate’s conclusion.”
Watch above via NewsNation.
