CNN host Kasie Hunt chose to abruptly cut off an interview segment with one of Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign representatives, Karoline Leavitt, after Leavitt began to point out CNN’s past disparaging remarks about Trump, including comparing him to Nazi German leader Adolf Hitler.
Hunt invited Leavitt on for an interview to discuss Trump’s upcoming CNN-hosted presidential debate with President Joe Biden.
Leavitt said Trump is comfortable comparing his record and vision for America against Biden’s and “knowingly going into a hostile environment on this very network on CNN with debate moderators who’ve made their opinions about him very well known over the past eight years in their biased coverage of him.”
CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash are set to moderate the debate on Thursday, June 27.
Hunt tried to push back on Leavitt’s comments regarding CNN’s bias against Trump. The CNN host insisted her colleagues “have acquitted themselves as professionals as they’ve covered campaigns and interviewed candidates from all sides of the aisle.”
Hunt also said the side that attacks the debate moderators is typically a side losing a debate.
Hunt then sought to shift the discussion over to Republican claims that Biden is senile and asked Leavitt to discuss the Trump team’s expectations for Biden’s performance and demeanor on the debate stage. Leavitt instead pivoted back to CNN’s past coverage of Trump.
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“Well, first of all, it takes someone five minutes to google ‘Jake Tapper, Donald Trump’ to see that Jake Tapper has…consistently likened President Trump to Adolf Hitler,” Leavitt said, as Hunt sought to interrupt and cut her off.
In December, Tapper described Trump as having used “the dehumanizing rhetoric of Adolf Hitler” when he described illegal immigration and poor border security as “poisoning the blood of our country.”
“Ma’am, we’re gonna stop this interview if you’re gonna keep attacking my colleagues,” Hunt interjected.
“Ma’am, I’m gonna stop this interview if you continue to attack my colleagues,” Hunt repeated. “I would like to talk about Joe Biden and Donald Trump, who you work for. And if you speak on his behalf, I’m willing to have this conversation.”
“I am stating facts that your colleagues have stated in the past. Now as for this debate…” Leavitt continued while Hunt announced that she was cutting off the interview.
Hunt released a statement on X, formerly Twitter, following the show, saying, “You come on my show, you respect my colleagues. Period. I don’t care what side of the aisle you stand on, as my track record clearly shows.”
