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Ahead of first presidential debate, right-wing media attack CNN after Trump spokesperson was cut off on-air

Written by Jacina Hollins-Borges

Research contributions from Jack Wheatley

Published

MAGA media figures are preparing their audiences to believe that the upcoming presidential debate on CNN will be unfairly biased against Donald Trump. 

While Trump has already begun saying that the June 27 debate will be rigged against him, right-wing media attacks escalated this week after an interview with Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt was cut off on CNN’s This Morning when she refused to stop attacking network anchor Jake Tapper. Right-wing media seized on the incident as supposed evidence that the CNN debate will be unfair, and some called for Trump to cancel the debate if the network does not officially apologize.

  • Right-wing media claim that CNN cutting off Leavitt is evidence that the debate will be biased against Trump

    • Fox News host Sean Hannity said “the so-called journalists are the worst part of Thursday’s debate,” complaining that Leavitt “wasn’t even able to get out a sentence. Is that their plan for Trump on Thursday? If there is a topic fake news CNN doesn’t like, what, you just shut it down?” [Fox News, Hannity, 6/24/24]
    • On Fox’s Outnumbered, co-host Emily Compagno said Hunt’s actions “fed into people’s conception abouts” of CNN’s role in hosting the debate, “which is that it’s actually not a fair fight.” [Fox News, Outnumbered, 6/24/24]
    • After Newsmax’s Greg Kelly warned, “This is the environment that Donald Trump is walking into on Thursday night,” he called This Morning host Kasie Hunt “crazy” for cutting off Leavitt, “the awesome Trump spokesperson.” [Newsmax, Greg Kelly Reports, 6/24/24]
    • Right-wing media personality and neo-Nazi collaborator Jack Posobiec complained that Hunt cut off Leavitt “the second she brings up Jake Tapper spending years comparing Trump to Adolf Hitler,” adding, “This is a preview of how CNN will act during the debate.” [Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed 6/24/24; Twitter/X, 6/24/24]
    • On Newsmax, a chyron during Rob Schmitt’s opening monologue on Leavitt’s CNN appearance read, “The CNN debate will be 3 vs 1.” [Newsmax, Rob Schmitt Tonight, 6/24/24]
    • Newsmax host Chris Plante called the incident “debate interference,” and said Hunt “called extra attention to how one-sided this debate will be, how one-sided CNN is.” [Newsmax, The Right Squad, 6/24/24] 
    • Sharing a clip of Leavitt’s CNN interview on X (formerly Twitter), former Fox News producer Kyle Becker wrote, “The CNN debate interference has already begun.” [Twitter/X, 6/24/24]

  • MAGA media figures call for Trump to cancel the debate if CNN does not apologize

    • Hosting Leavitt on his War Room podcast, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon said: “Kasie Hunt owes you an apology, CNN owes you an apology today. And if we don’t get that apology to Karoline Leavitt and to the Trump campaign and to MAGA today, President Trump should cancel this.” Bannon later claimed that CNN “has set a trap for President Trump on Thursday, and they should either apologize [or] President Trump should be a no-show.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 6/24/24, 6/24/24]
    • War Room producer Grace Chong reiterated Bannon’s point on X, writing, “APOLOGIZE OR NO DEBATE.” [Twitter/X, 6/24/24]
    • Sharing Leavitt’s War Room appearance, right-wing social media personality Mike Cernovich wrote that there is “zero reason for Trump to do the rigged CNN debate.” [Twitter/X, 6/24/24]