CNN’s post-debate analysis was just as off the rails late Tuesday as the presidential debate itself. Between predictions that it would be the last debate this election cycle, a profanity-laced outburst, and claims President Trump was actively trying to take down the country, CNN’s so-called journalists were out of control.
The moment the debate was over, Situation Room host Wolf Blitzer declared it “the most chaotic presidential debate” he had ever seen, which was a fair point. But he almost immediately provided cover for his candidate, Democratic nominee Joe Biden, and pushed that notion that this could be “the last presidential debate between the President of the United States and the former Vice President of the United States.”
Blitzer then declared Biden the winner:
Joe Biden clearly showed up today. He went head-to-head with the President of the United States. Who was often put on the defensive, interrupting the Vice President repeatedly. This will, certainly, be a relief to a lot, a lot of the Biden supporters who are going into this debate fairly nervous. The former Vice President, clearly, showed up.
Up next was consistently shoddy Jake Tapper of The Lead and State of the Union, who blamed Trump for why the debate “was a hot mess, inside a dumpster fire, inside a train wreck.” Adding: “That was the worst debate I have ever seen. In fact, it wasn't even a debate. It was a disgrace.”
After falsely suggesting the President was receptive to a “neo-fascist” group (when in reality Trump had brought up the group after asking moderator Chris Wallace who he wanted him to condemn), Tapper continued to fume: “We'll talk about who won the debate and who lost the debate. But I can tell you one thing for sure, the American people lost, tonight. Cause that was horrific.”
Chief political correspondent Dana Bash followed up by admitting Tapper had taken “the words out of my mouth.” She then put aside Tapper’s “high-minded language” and exclaimed: “I'm just going to say it like it is: That was a shit show!”
“And, you know, we're on cable, we can say that,” she defended her profanity. “Apologies for being maybe a little bit crude. But that is really the phrase that I'm getting from people on both sides of the aisle on text. And it’s the only phrase I can think of to really describe it.”
At one point, Tapper admitted that he didn’t know who won the debate because Biden “had some nice moments, but you know, I thought he was kind of flat.” But he then ruled, “that's almost irrelevant.”
And just before handing it off to AC360's Anderson Cooper, Tapper did his best Edward R. Murrow impression and proclaimed, without evidence, that Trump was intentionally trying to destroy America:
And one final thought before we throw it over to Anderson [Cooper]. At the end there, when Chris Wallace was pressing the President, ably, on the idea of would he concede if he loses. Joe Biden said yes, of course, I will. The President wouldn't. And what occurred to me is the thought that the President does not think he's going to win this election. And he wants to bring the rest of us down with him.
Off the rails and in the ditch. This is CNN.
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The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN’s Post-Debate Analysis
September 29, 2020
10:39:14 p.m. EasternWOLF BLITZER: Clearly, this was the most chaotic presidential debate I have ever seen. And I suspect most of you, if not all of you have ever seen. Most chaotic presidential debate. And it will certainly raise a lot of questions about the future of a presidential debate between these two candidates. I wouldn't be surprised, by the way, if this is the last presidential debate between the President of the United States and the former Vice President of the United States. But we shall see, fairly soon.
Joe Biden clearly showed up today. He went head-to-head with the President of the United States. Who was often put on the defensive, interrupting the Vice President repeatedly. This will, certainly, be a relief to a lot, a lot of the Biden supporters who are going into this debate fairly nervous. The former Vice President, clearly, showed up. Jake, a lot to analyze and discuss.
JAKE TAPPER: Wolf, that was a hot mess, inside a dumpster fire, inside a train wreck. That was the worst debate I have ever seen. In fact, it wasn't even a debate. It was a disgrace. And it's primarily because of President Trump, who spent the entire time interrupting not abiding by the rules he agreed to, lying, maliciously attacking the son of the Vice President. When asked to condemn white supremacists. He brought up the name of a neo-fascist, far-right group and said “stand back” and “standby.”
Umm—I – We'll talk about who won the debate and who lost the debate. But I can tell you one thing for sure, the American people lost, tonight. Cause that was horrific.
DANA BASH: You just took the words out of my mouth. You used some high-minded language. I'm just going to say it like it is: that was a shit show! And, you know, we're on cable, we can say that. Apologies for being maybe a little bit crude. But that is really the phrase that I'm getting from people on both sides of the aisle on text. And it’s the only phrase I can think of to really describe it. And I couldn't agree with you more, Jake.
(…)
TAPPER: Look, I don't know if Joe Biden won the debate per say. He had some nice moments, but you know, I thought he was kind of flat. But that's almost irrelevant.
(…)
TAPPER: And one final thought before we throw it over to Anderson [Cooper]. At the end there, when Chris Wallace was pressing the President, ably, on the idea of would he concede if he loses. Joe Biden said yes, of course, I will. The President wouldn't. And what occurred to me is the thought that the President does not think he's going to win this election. And he wants to bring the rest of us down with him.
(…)
