Rep. James Clyburn, D.C., clashed with CNN host Dana Bash on Sunday over how the news network conducted the first 2024 presidential debate.
Bash asked Clyburn, a longtime ally of the president, whether he had concerns about what many, including Democrats, considered a lackluster performance by Biden in the debate against former President Trump, with some of the president’s closest allies arguing that Biden should withdraw from the debates ahead of the election.
While Clyburn defended Biden, he also criticized the structure of the debate for not “fact-checking” any of Trump’s comments.
Rep. Clyburn endorsed President Biden after the president’s first presidential debate on Thursday. (Associated Press)
“I don’t like debates where nobody fact-checks,” Clyburn said Sunday. “You just say what you want to say, and you know it’s a lie. This guy told over 30 lies! Nobody checked them! And then he said it’s up to Joe Biden. I’m not so sure.”
CNN panel clashes over Biden debate performance: ‘I can’t comprehend the idea that this was the worst night’
He continued, “If I ask you a question and you give me a false answer, then I should follow up and give you the facts and see how you respond to that. So, for me, that was not the way to plan a debate. And anyone who did that, who agreed to that, should really think about what they’re doing.”
“Yes, this debate was the one that President Biden agreed to when he first proposed it,” Bash, who co-moderated the debate with Jake Tapper, reminded him.
Bash also pressed Clyburn, arguing that Biden could serve another four years as president despite his poor debate performance.
Rep. James Clyburn spoke about Biden’s debate performance on CNN. (CNN screenshot)
“It was a terrible performance, to be sure,” Clyburn said. “I’ve seen this before. I’ve been involved in debate prep before, and I know what happens when people over-prepare. And that’s exactly what happened. The other night I watched Joe Biden try to grab hold of any word or phrase or even number he had. The next day he arrived in North Carolina, let loose and charmed the audience.”
“I think he had a teleprompter on Friday in North Carolina,” Bash noted.
Biden adviser clashes with CNN anchor over presidential debate performance
Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro, similarly criticized CNN, defending Biden’s debate performance in a conversation with CNN host John Berman.
“Frankly, CNN could have done a better job reporting this. [Trump’s] “That’s pretty clear,” Shapiro said.
Some Democratic leaders have defended Biden, but others have called for the president to resign before the election. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
He added: “Joe Biden had a bad debate, but Donald Trump was a bad president too. I freely admit that last night’s debate did not leave me with a good impression.”
For more articles on Media and Culture click here
Click here to get the FOX News app
