CNN’s Anderson Cooper And ABC’s Martha Raddatz To Moderate Second Presidential Debate

Commission On Presidential Debates Names ABC’s Martha Raddatz And CNN’s Anderson Cooper As Moderators Of Presidential Town Hall Debate. The Commission on Presidential Debates unveiled a list of moderators on September 2, announcing that CNN’s Anderson Cooper and ABC’s Martha Raddatz would co-moderate the second debate between Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump. Cooper and Raddatz will “team up to lead a town hall-style forum at Washington University Oct. 9,” The Washington Post reported. From the September 2 article:

Just 24 days before the first presidential debate of the general election, the commission in charge of the events unveiled a list of moderators that includes some of the biggest names in TV news: NBC's Lester Holt, ABC's Martha Raddatz, CNN's Anderson Cooper and Fox News Channel's Chris Wallace.



Holt will moderate the opening debate Sept. 26 at Hofstra University, Raddatz and Cooper will team up to lead a town hall-style forum at Washington University Oct. 9, and Wallace will handle the questioning at the final debate Oct. 19 at the University of Nevada. [The Washington Post, 9/2/16]

Trump And Allies Attack Moderators As “Biased,” “Unfair”

Donald Trump

Donald Trump: “I Don’t Think Anderson Cooper Should Be A Moderator. … He’ll Be Very Biased, Very Biased.” In an interview with The Washington Post, Trump asserted that he did not “think Anderson Cooper should be a moderator.” Trump claimed that Cooper will “be very biased” and that he doesn’t believe Cooper “can be fair.” From the September 15 report:

Trump took an unprompted shot at Cooper, who is one of the moderators selected by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. Trump said he would take part in the debate moderated by Cooper but remains unhappy with his selection.



“I don’t think Anderson Cooper should be a moderator, because Anderson Cooper works for CNN and over the last couple of days, I’ve seen how Anderson Cooper behaves,” Trump said. “He’ll be very biased, very biased. I don’t think he should be a moderator. I’ll participate, but I don’t think he should be a moderator. CNN is the Clinton News Network and Anderson Cooper, I don’t think he can be fair.” [The Washington Post, 9/15/16]

Trump: “I’m Not OK With Anderson Cooper Because I Think He Treats Me Very Unfairly At CNN.” Trump told Fox’s Bill O’Reilly that he’s “not OK with Anderson Cooper because I think he treats me very unfairly at CNN” before attacking CNN’s ratings. From the September 19 edition of Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor:

BILL O'REILLY (HOST): Raddatz and Cooper, you OK with them or no?



DONALD TRUMP: No, not really. I'm not OK with Anderson Cooper because I think he treats me very unfairly at CNN. I think he is very unfair on CNN. I think CNN, they call it the Clinton News Network, that's why the ratings aren't doing very well. [Fox News, The O’Reilly Factor, 9/19/16]

Trump Told Cooper, “The People Don’t Trust You, And The People Don’t Trust The Media.” In an Anderson Cooper 360 interview, Trump told Cooper that “the people don’t trust you” and said, “I think it’s very unfair -- you’re talking to me about a poll I never even saw” after Cooper cited an unfavorable poll, according to Mediaite. Trump asserted that Cooper “only want[ed] to talk about the negative,” and he called the political media “really, really dishonest.” [Mediaite, 7/22/15]

Trump: “What A Waste of Time Being Interviewed By @andersoncooper When He Puts On Really Stupid Talking Heads.”

What a waste of time being interviewed by @andersoncooper when he puts on really stupid talking heads likeTim O'Brien-dumb guy with no clue!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 23, 2015

[Twitter, 7/23/15]

Trump: Raddatz “Was So Unprofessional And Biased When Discussing Me On This Week. @GStephanopoulos Should Not Allow This Conduct!”

.@MarthaRaddatz was so unprofessional and biased when discussing me on This Week. @GStephanopoulos should not allow this conduct!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2015

[Twitter, 7/21/15]

Trump: “Obama Was Guest At VP Debate Moderator Martha Raddatz’s Wedding. ... Do People Think This Is Fair?”

Obama was guest at VP debate moderator Martha Raddatz's wedding http://t.co/1XB8OK2t Do people think this is fair?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 10, 2012

[Twitter, 10/10/12]

Alex Jones

Alex Jones On “Rigged” Debates: Moderator Anderson Cooper Is With The CIA. Appearing on Trump ally Roger Stone’s radio show, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who is also a radio host and Trump ally, said Cooper was “admittedly CIA” and claimed that “the fix” against Trump “is in at every level. It’s rigged.” From the October 1 edition of Genesis Communications Network’s Stone Cold Truth:

ALEX JONES: Notice it just came out today, the debate commission said yes, his mic was cutting in and out. It was getting faded down. And it was not being broadcast to the audience so that they could cheer. Ladies and gentlemen, that was 100 percent setup. Just like Lester Holt and the hand signals and Lester Holt with the earpiece and Hillary and Lester Holt interrupting Trump 40-plus times, her only six. The fix is in at every level. It’s rigged. This is about the rigged system imploding. This is history happening and so I am desperate. I know Trump’s ahead, I know he’s winning, I know they’re going to pull out every stop. They’ve got CIA Anderson Cooper running the next debate. He’s admittedly CIA. And so we are storming the Bastille peacefully with 21st century warfare, which is information warfare. [Genesis Communications Network, Stone Cold Truth, 10/1/16]

Jones: Debate To Be Moderated By “Twinkle-Toes, Bite Your Pillow” Anderson Cooper. On the October 5 edition of his show, Jones referred to Cooper as “twinkle-toes, bite your pillow” and a “known CIA operative”:

ALEX JONES (HOST): So what happens this Sunday? What happens with this big royal rumble with the known CIA operative Anderson twinkle-toes, bite your pillow hosting it? [Genesis Communications Networks, The Alex Jones Show, 10/5/16]

Jones: “Clinton Teamed Up With CIA Spin Master Anderson Cooper To Lie To The American People.”

Clinton teamed up with #CIA spin master Anderson Cooper to lie to the American people

- https://t.co/WkhT05e6vj #HillarysHealth

— Alex Jones (@RealAlexJones) September 14, 2016

[Twitter, 9/14/16]

Jones: “CIA To Run 2nd Presidential Debate - Will Anderson Cooper Show Bias As Debate Moderator?”

CIA To Run 2nd Presidential Debate - Will Anderson Cooper show bias as debate moderator? - https://t.co/9TIfo2UjnU #election2016

— Alex Jones (@RealAlexJones) October 1, 2016

[Twitter, 10/1/16]

Rudy Giuliani

Rudy Giuliani To Raddatz: “You Don’t Treat Us The Same Way That You Treat Democrats. Hillary, Bill, Obama, They Get The Benefit Of The Doubt.” While guest hosting ABC’s This Week, Raddatz questioned Trump surrogate Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, over Trump’s assertion that the “election could be rigged”; Giuliani responded by attacking “the very unfair media coverage” of the campaign. Giuliani told Raddatz that she and others in the media “don’t treat us the same way that you treat Democrats,” who, according to Giuliani, “get the benefit of the doubt.” From the August 7 edition of ABC’s This Week:

MARTHA RADDATZ (HOST): Mayor Giuliani, Donald Trump has been raising questions about whether this election could be rigged. You've lost elections in the past and never really said anything like that.



Is that an appropriate thing for him to be saying?



Do you believe this election could be rigged?

RUDY GIULIANI: I think what he's talking about is the very unfair media coverage that Republicans get. I know all of those of you in the media don't believe this, but you really don't treat us the same way.



[...]

So I think what Donald Trump is reflecting is -- and I know the media always discounts this because you don't like to get criticized. But you don't treat us the same way that you treat Democrats. Hillary, Bill, Obama, they get the benefit of the doubt. [ABC, This Week, 8/7/16]

Roger Stone

Roger Stone: “Who The Hell In The Trump Campaign Approved These Debate Moderators?” Radio host and Trump ally Roger Stone questioned the selection of moderators in a September 6 tweet.

Who the hell in the Trump campaign approved these debate moderators? https://t.co/pnBwjPke6Q

— Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) September 6, 2016

[Twitter, 9/6/16]