CNN will face a high-profile test Thursday night when it hosts the debate between President Biden and former President Trump. This is the first nationally televised clash between the two since 2020.
CNN and its moderators, veteran anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, will be under enormous pressure to ask Trump and Biden all the questions they need to and make sure they appear fair in moderating the debate .
CNN reported that the microphones used by both candidates will be muted throughout the debate except when it is a candidate’s turn to speak, and that Tapper and Bash “are authorized to use all tools at their disposal to control the time and ensure a civilized debate.” “It will be granted,” he said.
This is a precautionary measure to prevent a repeat of the tumultuous 2020 altercation between the pair, who repeatedly hurled insults at each other in clashes of insults.
But it also poses risks to Tapper and Bash, who have already faced criticism from the Trump camp that moderation would not be fair.
On Monday, CNN morning show anchor Kasie Hunt interrupted an interview with Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt after questioning Tapper and Bash’s objectivity.
Hunt said he would not allow Levitt to use the airwaves to insult his colleagues.
Trump’s campaign, which frequently targets the mainstream media as an adversary, has further intensified the fight.
Levitt later appeared on former Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s podcast and said CNN took her off the air because “they don’t want the president’s spokesmen and defenders to be on the same network and broach (claims of bias).”
CNN issued a statement hours later defending its two main anchors and dismissing those criticisms.
The media said, “Jake Tapper and Dana Bash are respected veteran journalists who have collectively covered politics for over 50 years.” “They have extensive experience moderating major political debates, including CNN’s Republican presidential primary debates this cycle. There is no one better suited to co-facilitate substantive, fact-based discussions. We look forward to the debate in Atlanta on June 27.”
CNN CEO Mark Thompson, who took over the massive cable news operation last fall, said in an interview this week that the goal of Thursday night’s debate is to put the spotlight on the two candidates on stage rather than on his network.
“The fact that we got it was kind of a moment for us.” He told The New York Times: “Much of the reaction from the public, the rest of the media and other politicians will depend on the stars of the show: Presidents Trump and Biden.”
Thompson also defended the format of the debate, which will be held without a studio audience, and the decision to mute the microphones.
“It’s done in a way that, at least in principle, is designed to let in as much light as possible and not be overwhelmed by heat,” he said.
CNN has a long history with Trump, who once posted a photo on social media showing himself as a WWE character fighting another wrestler with the CNN logo as his head.
During Trump’s first term, CNN was led by Jeff Zucker, a former NBC executive who brought “The Apprentice” to prime time.
More recently, a town hall event the network hosted with Trump last summer sparked internal headaches and some external backlash.
The May 2023 event garnered the channel’s largest overnight viewership of 2023, but was dominated by Trump’s attacks on host Kaitlan Collins and misleading comments about the 2020 election and ongoing legal issues.
The town hall came as Zucker’s successor, producer Chris Licht, overhauled the network’s programming and what skeptics warned was a thinly veiled attempt to win over more conservative viewers. Licht was fired after a few weeks at Trump’s town hall and replaced by Thompson.
People inside the network described mounting tension and pressure ahead of Thursday night.
“Nobody wants to have a repeat of what happened in May,” a network official told The Hill this week. “Everyone is approaching it with extreme caution because this is the most eyeballs we’re going to have all year, or anyone is going to have all year.”
Thursday’s debate will be simulcast on nearly every cable and network news channel, giving both candidates a chance to reach tens of millions of people and adding to the scrutiny CNN will face as everything unfolds live.
“I think there’s going to be a ton of interest,” said Frank Sesno, who worked for a cable news channel for several years and now teaches journalism at George Washington University. “Some of that will come from people who are attracted to train wrecks. It may not be a positive, enthusiastic, ‘can’t wait to discuss’ interest. But seeing the two of them side by side on a stage without a script… Do you really want to miss it?”
