CBS moderators Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan faced a critical decision ahead of the vice-presidential debate- whether to fact-check the candidates live during the event or allow the candidates to fact-check each other. Ultimately, they chose to strike a balance, providing the candidates with the opportunity to fact-check each other while occasionally interjecting with statements of fact.
The night’s most direct fact-check occurred during a heated exchange between Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz over Haitian immigrants in Ohio. Vance claimed that Americans in Springfield, Ohio were suffering due to Kamala Harris’s open border policies. When Brennan clarified that Springfield had a large number of Haitian migrants with legal status, Vance protested the fact-check and continued to explain the process of immigrants receiving Temporary Protected Status. The debate became so contentious that the moderators had to cut off the candidates’ microphones.
The decision to fact-check the candidates during the debate drew criticism from former President Donald Trump and his supporters. Trump took to Truth Social to accuse Brennan of incorrectly fact-checking Vance on climate change and questioned why Walz’s statements were not being fact-checked. Megyn Kelly, a conservative podcaster, also criticized CBS for fact-checking Vance’s claims. Brit Hume, chief political analyst at Fox News, echoed the sentiment, calling the moderators obnoxious and implying bias against Vance.
This is not the first time moderators have fact-checked candidates during a debate. Last month, ABC moderators fact-checked Donald Trump during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, sparking outrage from Trump and his allies in the media. The fact-checking in Tuesday’s vice-presidential debate followed a similar pattern, with Trump and others expressing frustration with the moderators’ interventions. The issue of fact-checking became a central point of discussion on Fox News, with Brit Hume criticizing the moderators for creating a perceived three-on-one dynamic against Vance.
Overall, the decision by CBS moderators to fact-check the candidates in real-time during the debate sparked controversy and criticism from Trump and his supporters. While the moderators aimed to provide a balance between giving the candidates the opportunity to fact-check each other and injecting statements of fact, the fact-checking process led to a dramatic moment on stage. The backlash from Trump and his allies highlights the ongoing debate over the role of moderators in ensuring factual accuracy during political debates.
