CNN’s disastrous debate

Trump got off easy during this week’s debate. Here’s how COURIER can change that [Courier]( Friend, While media coverage has intensely focused on Joe Biden coming out of Thursday’s debate, less is being said about CNN and the disastrous format that allowed Donald Trump to lie for nearly two hours straight without a single fact check from the moderators. [We’ll talk about how CNN’s disastrous debate performance was a huge gift to Trump in a moment, but if you’re ready to support COURIER’s mission to fact-check Trump and stop right-wing misinformation, can you chip in $20 now?]( CNN has infamously struggled with how to cover Trump. In 2016 they allowed him unfettered access to the network’s primetime shows while airing his hate and misinformation-filled rallies nonstop to pump up ratings. After Trump won, CNN promised change, but there’s little evidence that they’ve learned anything at all. Here’s what we mean: First, problems started with a CNN “town hall” during the Republican primary. Trump refused to debate his Republican opponents so CNN offered him a one-on-one interview with politics anchor Kaitlin Collins. The “town hall” was widely criticized for Collins’ lack of fact-checking and the partisan audience that cheered Trump’s every word, including a standing ovation when he took the stage. Then, during Trump’s New York election fraud trial, CNN aired wall-to-wall coverage, including ridiculous live shots of Trump’s motorcade as it meandered slowly through rush hour traffic to the Manhattan courthouse. Now, after becoming the first media organization to run a presidential debate in nearly 40 years, CNN decided not to fact-check during the debate. The format was an especially insane decision because CNN’s own fact-checking team clocked Trump lying once every three minutes at a recent Wisconsin campaign rally. Predictably, Trump lied throughout the debate, and most talking heads in the press are saying he “won” handily (whatever that means). The easiest explanation for CNN's disastrous decision is that to avoid criticism that they were too hard on Trump, they took an outdated “both sides” approach to debate moderation. By now we know that, when it comes to stopping Donald Trump from spreading lies and conspiracies, that approach isn’t good enough. In fact, it’s dangerous because it normalizes Trump’s anti-democratic candidacy and everything it represents. Here at COURIER, we’re not afraid to say the truth: Trump is a liar and a fascist, and to protect our democracy, he must be held accountable. CNN and the rest of the legacy media might pretend that Trump is “normal,” but we never will. Right now, COURIER’s talented network of journalists in battleground states across the country is working hard to fact-check the lies and make our vital local election coverage freely available to the communities that need it most. [If you’d like to support COURIER’s fearless, factual coverage of Trump and Republicans like him in battleground states around the country, can you chip in $20 now?]( Express Donate: If you've stored your info with ActBlue Express, we'll process your contribution instantly: [$5]( [$15]( [$25]( [$50]( Thank you, COURIER --------------------------------------------------------------- Email us: info@couriernewsroom.com [Become a member!]( This message was sent to: {EMAIL}. Email is a critical way we communicate with grassroots supporters like you. However, if you would like to change your subscription preferences, here are some options: [Receive Fewer Emails]( [Update Your Information]( [unsubscribe]( To give by check: Courier Newsroom Box 509 New York, NY 10032