CNN host John Berman covered for ABC News’ allegedly biased debate moderation during a Wednesday interview with former President Donald Trump’s campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.
ABC News debate moderators Linsey Davis and David Muir on Tuesday faced backlash for persistently fact-checking Trump while letting Harris freely state falsehoods. Leavitt, on “CNN News Central,” reiterated the criticism, but Berman deflected and read from an X post defending the network before fact-checking the Trump campaign spokeswoman.
“I think President Trump was defending himself from attacks and lies from [Vice President] Kamala Harris that unfortunately were not fact-checked by the moderators in this debate. They fact-checked President Trump five times, they didn’t fact-check Kamala Harris once, even though she repeatedly lied about president Trump and his positions on the issues,” Leavitt said. “She said he supports a federal ban on abortion. That is unequivocally false. He has said repeatedly he does not support a ban on abortion. Kamala Harris said that he supports Project 2025. He does not.”
WATCH:
CNN Host Carries Water For ABC Moderators, Jumps On Fact-Check Bandwagon During Interview With Trump Spox pic.twitter.com/IjKsegSGRG
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 11, 2024
Berman cut Leavitt off and did not address her allegations about Harris’ false claims, instead asking the Trump spokeswoman about the former president’s abortion comments during the debate.
“Karoline, last night on the debate stage, I will say this. It was a position I had not heard before from him, which he refused to say that he would veto a national ban on abortion,” Berman said. “He was given a chance multiple times to say that he would veto a national ban and he wouldn’t do it.”
“Well, he has said multiple times, as well, that he will not sign a ban on abortion and it’s because it’s a states rights issue now. And Kamala Harris also refused to say if she supports a ban on late-term abortions in the eighth and ninth month of pregnancy,” Leavitt responded. “President Trump pointed that question at her directly twice. She refused to answer it and she laughed it off. And voters deserve an answer to that question.”
Berman then read the post by The Atlantic staff writer Tim Alberta, which states, “One way to look at it: ABC moderators fact-checked Trump 2-3 times and Harris zero times Another way to look at it: ABC moderators fact-checked Trump 2-3 times instead of 500 times.”
The CNN host asked Leavitt about Trump’s healthcare plan that the former president asserted he will release soon, asking when it will be publicized. Leavitt told Berman she does not have a date for the plan’s release yet.
“President Trump’s plan to drive down healthcare costs … is to let the free market thrive to increase competition in the healthcare marketplace to give Americans more options for healthcare,” Leavitt said. “That is the opposite of what Kamala Harris wants to do in healthcare. She was the co- sponsor of Bernie Sanders’ socialist Medicare for All plan. She said last night she doesn’t support that anymore. That was also a lie that wasn’t fact-checked by the moderators. Kamala Harris’ radical healthcare will eventually force every American off of their private health insurance … President Trump wants to drive down costs and increase the quality of care here at home and you do not do that by forcing people off of their private health insurance plans like Kamala Harris wants to do.”
“She said that is not her plan last night,” Berman said before ending the interview.
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