NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 29: Karoline Leavitt, campaign press secretary for former U.S. President Donald Trump, arrives for his criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 29, 2024 in New York City. Judge Juan Merchan will give the jury their instructions before they begin deliberations today. The former president faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial. (Photo by Jabin Botsford-Pool/Getty Images)
OAN’s Abril Elfi
5:53 PM – Monday, June 24, 2024
A CNN host cut Donald Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt from the air just days before the network is set to host the first 2024 presidential debate.
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Leavitt was cut off only minutes after the interview began. Leavitt was asked what the former GOP president’s strategy would be when he takes the stage in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday.
“President Trump is well prepared ahead of Thursday’s debates. Unlike Joe Biden, he doesn’t have to hide away and have his advisers tell him what to say. President Trump knows what he wants to say,” Leavitt started.
She then highlighted that the debate would most likely be a “hostile environment” for Trump, mentioning how the network’s moderators, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, have a previous history of biased coverage against him.
“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 in their biased coverage of him,” she said.
Meanwhile, host and political correspondent Kasie Hunt, who was interviewing Leavitt, fired back and asserted that her CNN colleagues were “professionals” before playing prepared clips showing Trump’s past comments regarding what he’s expecting to face from moderators.
As Leavitt tried to clear her throat and speak up, as it was supposed to be her turn to speak, Hunt simply drowned her out and continued to do so several times at any point that Leavitt noted the bias of past remarks said by both CNN moderators.
“Ma’am, we’re going to stop right there if you’re going to keep attacking my colleagues,” Hunt said. “I would like to talk about Joe Biden and Donald Trump, who you work for.”
“I’m sorry, guys… Karoline, thank you very much for your time. You’re welcome to come back at any time,” Hunt suddenly declared. “She is welcome to come back and speak about Donald Trump. Donald Trump will have equal time with Joe Biden when they both join us. later this week in Atlanta for this debate.”
After the show, Hunt posted on X (Twitter) defending her actions: “You come on my show; you respect my colleagues. Period. I don’t care what side of the aisle you stand on, as my track record clearly shows.”
Leavitt maintained that the on-air snub indicates that the presumed GOP nominee “will not be treated fairly” in the forthcoming debate in a statement given to The Post on Monday.
“CNN cutting off my microphone for bringing up a debate moderator’s history of anti-Trump lies just proves our point that President Trump will not be treated fairly in Thursday’s debate,” Leavitt said. “Yet President Trump is still willing to go into this 3-1 fight to bring his winning message to the American people, and he will win.”
In a statement released on Monday, CNN defended Tapper and Bash, vaguely stating that the two are “well respected veteran journalists who have covered politics for more than five decades combined.”
“They have extensive experience moderating major political debates, including CNN’s Republican Presidential Primary Debate this cycle,” a rep for the network said. “There are no two people better equipped to co-moderate a substantial and fact-based discussion, and we look forward to the debate on June 27 in Atlanta.”
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