Trump Shares Backstory On Agreeing To CNN Debate Moderated By ‘Fake Tapper’
Former President Donald Trump offered insights into his view on the dealmaking that led to CNN hosting his first debate against President Joe Biden of the 2024 election cycle.
The Washington Examiner’s Byron York reported a conversation in which Trump called anchor Jake Tapper, who has been announced as one of the debate moderators, “Fake Tapper.”
York noted how “Trump said it was the result of what he believes was failed gamesmanship on the part of the Biden campaign” when asked how the debate came together.
“What they did, I’m pretty sure, is that they approached me with a debate that I couldn’t take,” Trump said.
The former president noted how Tapper and his fellow anchor, Dana Bash, were selected as moderators. Trump went on to list other rules that CNN has announced for the debate on Thursday evening.
“No audience, sitting down, originally sitting down, a dead debate, turn off the mics when you’re not speaking so I can’t interrupt him,” he said.
“They knew I wouldn’t accept that because it was CNN, Dana Bash, Jake Tapper, and I like an audience and probably he doesn’t, who knows?” Trump continued.
He added, “They thought they would present it, I would say no, and they would say we can’t debate because Trump said no. So I said yes before they even gave me the terms. So he got roped into it.”
York point out Democrats “would interpret things differently” than how Trump described them. “After all, Biden took the lead in the debate maneuver and Trump had to react,” he observed.
“But there also appears to be little doubt that Biden, who trailed Trump in both national and key state polls, felt a need to shake up the race, and to do it sooner rather than later,” York wrote.
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“Thus, the June 27 debate will be the earliest general election faceoff ever,” he went on.
Another debate between Biden and Trump — this one hosted by ABC News — is planned for September 10.
CNN anchor Kasie Hunt shut down a debate preview on Monday after Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt kept bringing up how the moderators had criticized her boss in the past.
The cable network released a statement afterwards, describing Tapper and Bash as “well respected veteran journalists” with experience in covering politics and moderating debates.
CNN added, “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.”
