The first presidential debate hosted by CNN is just days away, but the network is making headlines for all of the wrong reasons after one of its hosts abruptly ended an interview with a spokesperson for Donald Trump.
The Interview
On Monday, Trump national press secretary Karoline Leavitt was booked on CNN’s early morning show hosted by Kasie Hunt when she was asked what the presumptive GOP nominee “is going to do differently on the debate stage this time.”
Leavitt started by saying her boss “knows what he wants to say” and is “going to relay his vision to the American people to make this country strong, safe, secure and wealthy again,” before pivoting to what she sees as the unique circumstances of Thursday’s debate.
“And that’s why President Trump is knowingly going into a hostile environment on this very network, on CNN, with debate moderators who have made their opinions about him very well known over the past eight years and their biased coverage of him,” Leavitt added.
She was referencing moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, which apparently did not sit well with Hunt. “So I’ll just say: My colleagues, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash have acquitted themselves as professionals as they have covered campaigns and interviewed candidates from all sides of the aisle,” she said. “I’ll also say that if you talk to analysts of debates, previous, that if you’re attacking the moderators, you’re usually losing.”
Hunt then tried to focus the interview back to Trump and Biden on the debate stage, but Leavitt did not back down. “Well, first of all, it takes about five minutes to Google ‘Jake Tapper, Donald Trump’ to see that Jake Tapper has–” Leavitt said before Hunt cut her off again.
“Ma’am, we’re going to stop this interview if you’re going to keep attacking my colleagues,” Hunt warned. Leavitt continued to press on, which led the visibly flustered host to command the CNN control room to cut her video feed and return to a panel discussion.
“Karoline, thanks very much for your time. You are welcome to come back at any point,” Hunt said. “She is welcome to come back and speak about Donald Trump. And Donald Trump will have equal time to Joe Biden when they both join us now at next– early– later this week in Atlanta for this debate. Our thanks to Karoline.”
Later that day, Hunt took to X – where her profile banner is a photo of her shaking hands with Biden – to defend her actions. “You come on my show, you respect my colleagues. Period,” she tweeted. “I don’t care what side of the aisle you stand on, as my track record clearly shows.”
‘This Was a Disgrace’
Megyn called the incident a “disgrace” and said Hunt “embarrassed herself, womankind, female journalists, and CNN” with her performance. “First of all, it was embarrassing because she was afraid and you could tell,” she explained. “Her timidity rang through loud and clear: Her voice started shaking, she looked like she was shaking, and her effort to play the tough guy was immediately seen through by any audience member watching that.”
But more than that, Megyn said Hunt was in the wrong. “Second of all, the moderators are 100 percent subject to criticism, and if she doesn’t know that, she’s in the wrong business,” she continued. “Sure, there are lines that can be crossed that, you could argue, are inappropriate… however, criticism that the moderator may be biased is not one of them.”
In silencing Leavitt, Hunt committed one of the cardinal sins of journalism by becoming the story and distracting from what should be a big week for her ratings-challenged network. She also, in Megyn’s view, exposed a flaw in the media today. “She cut [Leavitt] off, which is indicative of another problem all over the left these days: ‘I don’t hear it. I cannot hear. I am not listening to you,'” she added.
Ultimately, Megyn had some advice for Hunt. “Maintain your cool, your dignity, and stop trying to look like Princess Valiant because you embarrassed Jake Tapper and Danna Bash who don’t need your defense,” she concluded. “They can take the slings and arrows.”
You can check out Megyn’s full analysis by tuning in to episode 820 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.