Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance clashed with moderators Margaret Brennan and Norah O'Donnell during the CBS News Vice Presidential Debate, accusing them of violating their own rules against live fact-checking.
Tensions erupted during the CBS News Vice Presidential Debate on Tuesday night when Republican candidate JD Vance pushed back against moderators Margaret Brennan and Norah O'Donnell after they attempted to fact-check him.
Despite CBS announcing that it would not allow live fact-checking during the debate, Brennan interjected to correct Vance after he suggested that illegal immigrants are overwhelming resources in Springfield, Ohio.
Tensions Flare as Vance Accuses CBS Moderators of Breaking Debate Rules
"Just to clarify for our viewers, Springfield, Ohio does have a large number of Haitian migrants who have legal status, temporary protected status," Brennan said.
When Vance tried to push back on the fact-check, Brennan and her co-moderator Norah O'Donnell attempted to speak over Vance, insisting that they had to move on to the next question.
Tensions Flare as Vance Accuses CBS Moderators of Breaking Debate Rules
"The rules were that you guys weren't going to fact-check," Vance reminded them. "And since you are fact-checking me, I think it's important to say what's actually going on."
While explaining the process of obtaining legal status and tying it to a Harris-backed immigration policy, the moderators again spoke over Vance, thanking him for "describing the legal process" before they cut off his microphone as Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz attempted to argue with him.
Tensions Flare as Vance Accuses CBS Moderators of Breaking Debate Rules
"Senator, we have so much we have to get to, thank you so much for explaining the legal process," Brennan said before urging O'Donnell again to move on to the next question.
"The audience can't hear you because your mics are cut," she added when Vance continued to respond.
CBS News had announced last week that it would not allow its moderators to partake in any fact checking or correcting live in an effort to avoid the fury sparked by ABC News for its partisan handling of the first presidential debate between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Instead, the network offered viewers a QR code where their reporters are fact-checking the candidates' remarks in real time on their website.
CBS came under scrutiny ahead of the debate for its past coverage of Trump, with critics warning that Vance could enter a one-against-three political showdown after Trump was aggressively fact-checked during the ABC debate last month.
Vance's accusation that CBS was violating its own rules echoed the criticism leveled at ABC's moderators during the presidential debate, where Trump was repeatedly interrupted and fact-checked, while Harris was given more leeway.
The incident highlights the ongoing debate over the role of moderators in political debates, with some arguing that they should maintain a neutral stance and allow candidates to present their views without interruption, while others believe that moderators have a responsibility to correct false or misleading statements, especially when they concern matters of fact.
In this case, CBS's decision to allow live fact-checking appeared to be an attempt to address the criticism it received after the ABC debate. However, the execution of the fact-checks, particularly in the case of Vance, raised questions about the impartiality of the moderators and the potential for selective enforcement of the rules.
As the 2024 election season progresses, it remains to be seen whether other moderators and networks will adopt a similar approach to fact-checking during debates, and whether candidates will be held to the same standards of accountability regardless of their political affiliation.
