The interview started well enough as CNN anchor Kasie Hunt spoke with Karoline Leavitt, the national press secretary for Donald Trump’s campaign, on Monday. It should have been a six- or seven-minute exchange about this week’s presidential debate between Trump and President Joe Biden.
But Hunt dramatically — and rightfully — cut the interview way short because Leavitt would not stop verbally attacking CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, the moderators for the debate.
Hunt was in Washington, D.C., while Leavitt was in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Hunt opened with a pitch right down the middle and allowed Leavitt, if she wanted, to take a big swing at propping up Trump and/or bashing Biden.
After a brief introduction and setup, Hunt asked, “Can you tell us what Donald Trump is going to do differently on the debate stage this time?”
Leavitt started off fine, talking about Trump being well-prepared while criticizing Biden for relying on advisers and so forth.
Leavitt then said, “And 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 and their biased coverage of him. So President Trump is willing to bring his message to every corner of this country to voters to ensure that he wins this election in November. He looks forward to doing that. And I know the American public looks forward to hearing from him.”
OK, that all sounds like standard work for a press secretary — checking off several talking points and even getting in a quick jab at CNN. Not saying she was right or even accurate in her attacks on Tapper and Bash, but, fine, she got in her shot. It also seems to be a part of a larger strategy to cry foul ahead of time in case the debate doesn’t go the way the Trump campaign hopes.
It’s also OK for Hunt to stick up for her colleagues, which she did by saying, “So I’ll just say, my colleagues, that Jake Tapper and Dana Bash have acquitted themselves as professionals as they have covered campaigns and interviewed candidates from all sides of the aisle. I’ll also say that if you talk to analysts of debates, previous, that if you’re attacking the moderators, you’re usually losing. So I really want to focus in on what these two men are going to do and say when they stand on the stage now.”
Hunt then got back to Trump and the debate/campaign strategy.
And that should have been it for the sniping about the moderators. Leavitt got in her shot about Tapper and Bash. Hunt got in her defense of Tapper and Bash. Let’s all move on and get back to the nuts and bolts of the race.
But Leavitt wouldn’t let it go, saying, “Well, first of all, it takes about five minutes to Google Jake Tapper, Donald Trump to see that Jake Tapper has …”
Hunt interrupted with, “Ma’am, we’re going to stop this interview if you’re going to keep attacking my colleagues.”
Leavitt didn’t care. She charged on. The two then tried to talk over one another with Leavitt continuing to attack Tapper and Bash, and Hunt continuing to defend them while trying to shift the interview back to the candidates.
Then it happened.
Hunt finally had enough, abruptly saying the interview was over: “Now I’m sorry guys. We’re going to come back after the panel. Karoline, thanks very much for your time. You are welcome to come back at any point.”
After Leavitt’s feed was cut off, Hunt said, “She is welcome to come back and speak about Donald Trump. And Donald Trump will have equal time to Joe Biden when they both join us … this week in Atlanta for this debate. Our thanks to Karoline.”
Was it a bit of a quick hook? Perhaps. But Hunt fairly warned Leavitt, who would’ve been best served to get back to her Trump vs. Biden script.
The exchange, and the fact that Hunt actually followed through with her threat and shut down the interview, immediately went viral.
Afterward, Hunt tweeted, “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.”
Meanwhile, The Hill’s Dominick Mastrangelo reported that Leavitt then appeared on the podcast hosted by former Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon. There, Leavitt said, “They don’t want spokespeople and defenders of the president to go on that same network and bring them up (alleged instances of bias by the moderators against Trump).”
Bannon then said he thought Thursday’s debate would be “totally 100% rigged.” He also said CNN owed Leavitt an apology and that if she does not get one then — wait for it — Trump should cancel the debate.
Leavitt also tweeted, “You cut off my microphone for bringing up the debate moderator’s history of anti-Trump lies. This proved our point that President Trump will not be treated fairly on Thursday. Yet he is still willing to go into this 3-1 fight to bring his winning message to the American people, and he will win.”
Trump supporters likely see Hunt as being petty. But, again, Hunt warned Leavitt, who already got to say what she wanted to say about CNN and Tapper. It was time to move on.
Hunt could’ve let it go, but not only did she stand up for her colleagues, she shut down an interview that was headed down a path of repeated accusations and material that really is of no interest to TV viewers.
Good for Hunt.
