C-SPAN’s Steve Scully believes his Twitter account was hacked following a tweet to former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci asking for advice on whether he should “respond to” President Trump’s attacks on him.
The tweet from the verified account for the second presidential debate moderator was sent Thursday evening, setting off a wave of criticism on social media as it raised concerns about the journalist’s impartiality.
By Friday, the tweet was deleted, but not before Scaramucci responded.
“Ignore. He is having a hard enough time. Some more bad stuff about to go down,” Scaramucci said late Thursday.
Ignore. He is having a hard enough time. Some more bad stuff about to go down. https://t.co/cMphfQJELL
— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) October 9, 2020
Scaramucci was fired from the White House in the summer of 2017 after less than two weeks on the job as communications director and has since become an outspoken critic of Trump.
Frank Fahrenkopf, the co-chairman for the Commission on Presidential Debates, said on the Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News Radio on Friday that the tweet was not sent by Scully himself.
“Steve is a man of great integrity, OK. He worked for Biden, he was in law school, and he became an intern. … That’s when he interned for him,” he said, defending Scully from the accusations that his internship work decades ago with then-Sen. Joe Biden, who is now the Democratic presidential nominee, would influence how he moderates a debate.
“I don’t know about this question of whether or not he tweeted something out,” he added. “I do know, and you probably pick up on it in a minute, that he was hacked. There was apparently something now that being was on television and the radio saying that he talked to [Anthony] Scaramucci … and that he’s been talking to Scaramucci, he was hacked. It didn’t happen.”
Shortly afterward, C-SPAN released a statement that said Scully “did not originate the tweet and believes his account has been hacked.” C-SPAN also said the Commission for Presidential Debates is investigating what happened with the help of authorities.
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 9, 2020
Scully, political editor of C-SPAN and host of Washington Journal, was picked to moderate the town hall presidential debate, which was scheduled to be held in Miami on Oct. 15. But after Trump tested positive for COVID-19 last week, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that the next debate would be held virtually, a change the president said he would not accept.
Trump has repeatedly chastised Scully. He said during a Fox Business interview Thursday morning that he thought Scully was a “nice guy” but heard he is a “Never Trumper.”
Trump reiterated that sentiment in a Friday tweet criticizing Scully and Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace, who moderated the first debate.
“Steve Scully, the second Debate Moderator, is a Never Trumper, just like the son of the great Mike Wallace. Fix!!!” Trump tweeted.
Steve Scully, the second Debate Moderator, is a Never Trumper, just like the son of the great Mike Wallace. Fix!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2020
Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer defended Scully, adding that he did not believe the C-SPAN fixture sent the tweet.
“I spoke w @SteveScully Only interactions w Scaramucci he has had are a June 2018 tv & 2019 radio @cspan interview. He did not send the tweet. Steve is good man & will make an excellent @debates moderator. CSPAN does an amazing job of giving people unfiltered access,” Spicer tweeted.
I spoke w @SteveScully Only interactions w Scaramucci he has had are a June 2018 tv & 2019 radio @cspan interview. He did not send the tweet. Steve is good man & will make an excellent @debates moderator. CSPAN does an amazing job of giving people unfiltered access #Debates2020
— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) October 9, 2020
Scaramucci also chimed in late Friday morning.
“I accept @SteveScully at his word. Let’s not cancel anymore people from our culture for absolutely something like this. It’s insignificant. He is an objective journalist,” he said.
I accept @SteveScully at his word. Let’s not cancel anymore people from our culture for absolutely something like this. It’s insignificant. He is an objective journalist.
— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) October 9, 2020
The Commission on Presidential Debates did not immediately respond to a request for more information regarding the claim about a hack.
