In their discussion after Vice President Kamala Harris’ October 23 CNN town hall, the network’s anchors admitted — but then dismissed — that mainstream media are holding Harris to a “different standard” than her Republican opponent Donald Trump. 

Trump and Harris held one debate on September 11, after which Trump refused further debates. Due to this, CNN invited both Harris and Trump to participate in individual town hall events, an invitation Harris accepted but Trump declined. On October 23, Harris participated in a CNN town hall with undecided Pennsylvania voters.

Following Harris' town hall, CNN anchors engaged in what journalist Aaron Rupar called “theater criticism” of Harris' performance without even acknowledging that Trump refused to even show up to take questions from voters until roughly 10 minutes into their post-event discussion.

While a focus group CNN gathered overall had positive reactions, CNN immediately criticized Harris’ performance, even admitting — and dismissing — that they are holding Harris to a “different standard” and “it's inherently unfair.”

Writing about the town hall, The Bulwark noted these double standards:

Some examples of their commentary:

• Bash said, “What I'm hearing from people who I have been talking to … is that if her goal was to close the deal, they're not sure she did that,” noting that people don’t know “what she will do, the question about her legislative priorities — name one. There wasn't one.” 
• Tapper asked whether Harris “did too much” criticism of Trump for his former chief of staff’s comment calling him a fascist: “I do wonder — I mean, I think after eight years of Donald Trump people are aware of Donald Trump's persona, his proclivity for controversy, his potential to offend, and the like. And I wonder if you think maybe she did too much of what Kaitlan’s talking about.”
• King said Harris had not developed “a brand” as vice president and claimed that “the personal part is sometimes missing.”
• CNN anchor Abby Phillips even complained about the length of Harris’ answers to voters’ questions: “I kept looking for — what is the 30-second summary of this answer, and sometimes she would get to it all the way at the very end,” adding, “It's really a kind of inverted pyramid sort of thing. She needs to get to that at the beginning.”