Monday’s CNN This Morning illustrated the network’s long-standing arrogance, petulance, and version to outside criticism as host Kasie Hunt had a conniption when Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt merely pointed out the basic fact that the two moderators for Thursday’s CNN debate — Dana Bash and Jake Tapper — have long records of bias against Trump and the wider MAGA movement. Hunt began by recalling videos of Trump speaking about the upcoming debate, visually annoyed with his words she introduced Leavitt.
Something must have been in the Hunt’s coffee, for, as soon as the politics segment began, the hosts seemed a combination of peeved and forlorn. After introducing Leavitt and asking her how Trump would improve from 2020, Leavitt briefly pointed out an issue that has and will plague the GOP in debates past and future in biased moderators.
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. So President Trump is willing to bring his message to every corner of this country to voters to ensure that he wins this election in November.
Clearly upset and refusing to accept outside criticism, Hunt was quick to defend Bash and Tapper:
So I'll just say my colleagues, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash have acquitted themselves as, as professional 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 debates, previous, that if you're attacking the moderators, you're usually losing.
To be clear, the allegations which Leavitt made were no conspiracy, As cross-talk ensued, it became clear Hunt had no interest in hearing any criticism in turn, she promptly cut off Leavitt and rudely ending the interview:
LEAVITT: Well, first of all, it's it would take someone five minutes to Google Jake Tapper, Donald Trump to see that Jake Tapper has
HUNT: Ma’am we’re going to stop this interview if you are going to continue to keep attacking my colleagues
LEAVITT: Consistently, frequently likened President Trump to Adolf Hilter –
HUNT: Ma’am I’m going to stop this interview
LEAVITT: I’m stating –
HUNT: – If you continue to attack my colleagues, I would like to talk about –
LEAVITT: I am stating –
HUNT: Joe Biden and Donald Trump, who you work for.
LEAVITT: Yes.
HUNT: If you are here to speak on his behalf I am willing to have this conversation
LEAVITT: I am stating facts that your colleagues have stated in the past. Now, as for this debate
HUNT: I'm sorry, we're going to come back out to the panel. Karoline, thank you very much for your time. You are welcome to come back at any point, she is welcome to come back and speak about Donald Trump. And Donald Trump will have equal time to Joe Biden when they both join us now at next, early, later this week, in Atlanta for this debate, our thanks to Caroline.
The level of sanctimoniousness is both overwhelming and completely in-line with how CNN has operated for the last decade. While such a meltdown would receive widespread media condemnation if it occurred on, say, Fox, it’s perfectly suitable in press circles for Hunt to shut Leavitt down, barring her from answering questions as she saw fit.
It’s not as though Leavitt went after Hunt personally. But, for the crime of speaking to CNN’s progressive nature, Hunt censored Leavitt’s legitimate media criticism.
The transcript is below, click “expand” to read:
CNN This Morning
6/24/2024
06:49:01 AM EST
KASIE HUNT: Joining me now is Karoline Leavitt. She is the Trump Campaign National Press Secretary. Karoline, thanks very much for being here on the show. We played that to remind everyone that that was some of what they saw on the debate stage in 2020. Of course, ah, President Trump went on to lose that election to Joe Biden. Can you tell us what Donald Trump is going to do differently on the debate stage this time?
KAROLINE LEAVITT: Sure. Well, President Trump is well prepared ahead of Thursday's debates. Unlike Joe Biden, he doesn't have to hide away and have his advisors tell him what to say. President Trump knows what he wants to say and he's going to relay his vision to the American people to make this country strong, safe, secure, and wealthy again, he's been doing that across this great nation to all corners of this country. That's why he was in Detroit, Michigan last week. He was in Philadelphia for a big rally on Saturday night, and 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. So, President Trump is willing to bring his message to every corner of this country to voters to ensure that he wins this election in November. He looks forward to doing that, and I know the American public look forward to hearing from him.
HUNT: So I'll just say my colleagues, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash have acquitted themselves as – as professional 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 debates, previous, that if you're attacking the moderators, you're usually losing. So I really want to focus in –
LEAVITT: Well –
HUNT: – on what these two men are going to do and say, when they stand on the stage. Now, now – we have a little bit of what Donald Trump, your boss, has said in trying to set expectations for this debate, I want to play a sum of a series of his comments and then we'll talk about it. Watch.
DONALD TRUMP: Maybe I’m better off losing the debate. I'll make sure he stays. I lost the debate on purpose. Maybe I'll do something like that. [CUT] I assume he's gonna be somebody that will be a worthy debater. [CUT] Should I be tougher and nasty and say you're the worst president in history or should I be nice and calm and let him speak?
HUNT: So he's basically saying there, “Well, will I let Joe Biden win?” It does seem as though many Republicans have set the bar very low in terms of arguing that Joe Biden is basically senile. Now, you have people like Doug Burgum coming out and saying, “well, President Biden's very accomplished”, trying to set expectations in a different place. What do you expect from Joe Biden?
LEAVITT: Well, first of all, it's – to take someone five minutes to Google Jake Tapper, Donald Trump to see that Jake Tapper has –
HUNT: Ma’am we’re going to stop this interview –
LEAVITT: – consistently, frequently likened President Trump –
HUNT: – if you are going to continue to keep attacking my colleagues.
LEAVITT: – to Adolf Hilter.
HUNT: Ma’am I’m going to stop this interview –
LEAVITT: No, I’m stating –
HUNT: – if you continue to attack my colleagues, I would like to talk about –
LEAVITT: I am stating –
HUNT: – Joe Biden and Donald Trump, who you work for.
LEAVITT: Yes. And we –
HUNT: If you are here to speak on his behalf, I am willing to have this conversation.
LEAVITT: I am stating facts that your colleagues have stated in the past. Now, as for this debate –
HUNT: Okay, I'm sorry, guys, we're going to come back out to the panel.
LEAVITT: – the expectation –
HUNT: Caroline, thank you very much for your time. You are welcome to come back at any point. She is welcome to come back and speak about Donald Trump. And Donald Trump will have equal time to Joe Biden when they both join us now – at next – early – later this week, in Atlanta for this debate, our thanks to Caroline. John, that of course is something that we are going to see from the Right, right? It's going to be attacks on how this debate is conducted. As you know, our colleagues Jake and Dana have played a role in our conversations throughout which they have interesting viewed candidates on both sides. Let's talk, though, again, about the candidates.
JOHN KING: Alright, look, what you just heard there, it is part of the strategy, and it always has been, and it works for Trump with his base. Does it work for Trump with the small slice of people he needs to, you know, get to win Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona? I would argue, let's deal with policy. Let's deal with that. But that is part of their strategy.
