CBS debate moderators slammed for ‘disgusting’ Vance fact-checking: ‘A terrible look’

CBS News anchors Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan faced criticism when they moderated Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate between Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Although CBS announced it would not allow live fact-checking during the debate, the moderators did so repeatedly. Brennan interjected to correct Vance after he suggested that illegal immigrants were an overwhelming resource Springfield, Ohio.

“To be clear to our viewers, there are a large number of Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio who have legal status and temporary protected status,” Brennan said.

JD VANCE reminds CBS hosts of debate rules after they try to fact-check him

When the anchors tried to continue, Vance fought back.

“The rules said you wouldn’t fact check,” Vance reminded her. “And since you’re fact-checking me, I think it’s important to say what’s actually going on.”

While explaining the process of obtaining legal status and linking it to immigration policies supported by Harris, the hosts spoke again about Vance and thanked him for “describing the legal process” before cutting off the microphone for him, as did Tim Walz, who Democratic governor of Minnesota, it tried to argue with him.

The CBS anchors’ fact-checking was sharply criticized by critics.

“The anchors were obnoxious and made it feel like three-on-one with Vance,” Fox News’ Brit Hume responded.

Fox News’ Laura Ingraham criticized the hosts’ “smug, arrogant bias.”

“Almost every question was designed to make Republicans look bad and distort Trump’s views on child care. And yet Vance seemed to take it all in stride. And I think he really demonstrated his humanity on most of the questions and also his knowledge of child care issues,” Ingraham said.

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Critics also took to social media to denounce the CBS anchors.

“Once again, another major media company embarrasses itself on a debate stage,” wrote Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida. “In the first 30 minutes of the CBS debate alone, the moderators have already issued two unnecessary editorial statements (one of them misleading) attacking JD Vance under the guise of ‘fact checking’.”

“CBS literally cut @JDVance’s mic off mid-sentence when he tried to check Tim Walz. They would never do it if the tables were turned,” said Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.

“Margaret Brennan interrupting JD Vance to technically correct her false fact-checking about him is a terrible sight for @CBSNews,” said conservative strategist Brad Todd. “You just can’t help it. Democracy dies in muted microphones.”

“What kind of CBS cops are these? If you want to fact check, say you will. “Don’t say you won’t do it and then do it!” “Breaking Points” co-host Saagar Enjeti exclaimed.

“The way the hosts think it’s their job to have the final say in framing a topic is astounding,” quipped Wall Street Journal film critic Kyle Smith.

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Fox News’ Bill Melugin, who has covered the refugee crisis extensively during the Biden-Harris administration, provided his own fact check of the debate exchange.

“CBS cuts off Vance’s microphone as he explains how the Biden/Harris admin has allowed over 800,000 migrants to ‘lawfully’ enter the US through the CBP One app. Then it sounded like Walz claimed the CBP One app has been used since the 90s, which is completely false,” Melugin wrote down

Notably, O’Donnell and Brennan cooled off during the fact-checking after returning from commercial break.

The backlash the CBS News anchors received is similar to the uproar sparked by ABC News’ David Muir and Linsey Davis over their partisan moderation during the first presidential debate between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

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Fox News’ Yael Halon and Joshua Q. Nelson contributed to this report.