Conservatives panned Chris Wallace’s moderation of Tuesday’s presidential debate after several interruptions from the Fox News Sunday host.
President Trump and Wallace sparred throughout the first presidential debate of the season. In one instance, after Wallace referred to the president’s healthcare executive order as “largely symbolic,” Trump hit back, saying, “I guess I’m debating you, not [Biden] … I’m not surprised.”
“You know, sir, if you wanna switch seats, we could do that.”
Chris Wallace briefly lectures @realDonaldTrump for repeatedly interrupting and talking over both him and @JoeBiden. pic.twitter.com/H8yQF3m0r9
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) September 30, 2020
Brian Kilmeade, Wallace’s colleague at Fox News, asked why Wallace let the Democratic nominee interrupt but not Trump, writing, “Why is @JoeBiden allowed to interrupt? @realDonald Trump is not.”
Why is @JoeBiden allowed to interrupt? @realDonaldTrump is not
— Brian Kilmeade (@kilmeade) September 30, 2020
Greg Gutfeld, a co-host of The Five on Fox News, tweeted that it was “not good” when Wallace laughed along with Biden.
That was not good
— GregGutfeld (@greggutfeld) September 30, 2020
Conservative filmmaker and author Dinesh D’Souza ripped Wallace over his interventions, arguing it wasn’t his job to “start throwing punches at one of the two combatants.”
Yes the fighters sometimes became unruly, but it’s still not the referee’s job to jump into the fray and start throwing punches at one of the two combatants #Debate2020 #ChrisWallace
— Dinesh D’Souza (@DineshDSouza) September 30, 2020
After the debate, the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., told Fox News’s Sean Hannity that Wallace was “no conservative.”
Harmeet Dhillon, a prominent Republican lawyer, called Wallace a “disgrace” and urged Republicans to “stop allowing the slanted media to have any role in debates.”
Chris Wallace is a disgrace. Republicans need to stop allowing the slanted media to have any role in debates in future years.
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) September 30, 2020
Juanita Broaddrick, who accused former President Bill Clinton of sexual assault, called for Wallace to be banned from moderating any further debates.
This is no damn debate. This is a
“Get Trump” fest. Chris Wallace should be banned from any further debates.— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) September 30, 2020
Ann Coulter accused Wallace of intervening when Trump began to land blows against Biden.
Every time Trump is nailing Biden, Chris Wallace interrupts. “That’s the next topic!”
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) September 30, 2020
Multiple pundits and those in the media expressed disapproval of Wallace’s framing of a question on critical race theory, arguing that calling it “racial sensitivity training” was “ignorant.”
Chris Wallace calling critical race theory “racial sensitivity training” is totally ignorant of what’s being taught. It is racist and anti-American. Appalling.
— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) September 30, 2020
Chris Wallace calling critical race theory “racial sensitivity training” is honestly fucking sad.
This shit is not circa 1980s corporate hr seminars.
Herding whites only into white privilege indoctrination is not “racial sensitivity.” It’s racial insensitivity.
— Geoffrey Ingersoll (@GPIngersoll) September 30, 2020
The criticism of Wallace’s performance wasn’t limited to right-leaning commentators. Journalist and former Hillary Clinton campaign co-chairman Yashar Ali said Wallace was “not doing a good job,” but questioned whether any other moderator could do better.
Question…Chris Wallace is not doing a good job as debate moderator…no doubt about that. But in terms of Trump’s repeated interrupting would another moderator have handled it better?
Without the ability to mute a microphone, what could another moderator have done?
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) September 30, 2020
Soledad O’Brien, a former MSNBC host, called the debate a “fricken mess.”
Hellllo Chris Wallace??? Looking for a moderator here. Jesus Christ what a fricken mess.
— Soledad O’Brien (@soledadobrien) September 30, 2020
