CNN, the host of Thursday’s debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, has faced criticism for the absence of real-time fact-checking of the two candidates.
Trump spread several falsehoods during his time onstage on issues ranging from the economy and his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot to veterans care. While Biden struggled to counter Trump’s false claims, many wondered why the two moderators, CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, failed to interject.
Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah called the lack of fact checks “disturbing.”
“This is how democracy and norms get eroded,” Attiah wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Fact-checking and preparedness are part of the safeguards to keep people in power accountable.”
David Chalian, CNN’s political director, explained the thinking behind the call to avoid interrupting the candidates earlier this week.
“Obviously, if there is some egregious fact that needs to be checked or the record needs to be made clear, Jake and Dana can do that,” Chalian told The Associated Press. “But that’s not their role. They are not here to participate in this debate. They are here to facilitate a debate between Trump and Biden.”
Chalian also told The New York Times a live debate “is not the ideal arena for live fact-checking.”
The network instead provided live fact-checking on its website and featured an on-air segment with Daniel Dale following the conclusion of the Biden-Trump debate.
Overall, CNN said Trump made over 30 false statements during the course of the event, while Biden made “at least nine false or misleading claims.”
While the debate laid bare Trump’s propensity for lying, it also failed to quell concerns about Biden’s age and fitness to serve given the president didn’t address Trump’s falsehoods, prompting many Democrats to wonder both privately and publicly whether he should drop out and allow a younger candidate to take over.
Yet, Biden appears to be brushing off the criticism, at least for now.
“I think we did well,” he told reporters during a post-debate stop at a Waffle House in the Atlanta area.
The debate was also seen as a make-or-break moment for the network, which has seen its ratings continue to slip away even after the departure of Chris Licht, whose time at the helm of the network was marred by controversy, including over the decision to host a town hall with Trump.
CNN has continued to struggle under the leadership of current CEO Mark Thompson, who has yet to lay out a clear vision for the future of CNN, even though the debate was expected to bring in record-breaking viewing figures for the network and offered hope it could position CNN as a leading destination for breaking news once again.
Still, challenges remain for the business as Puck’s Dylan Byers reported Thompson will be announcing layoffs next month.
