Ric Grenell to Newsmax: Tapper, Bash Biases Taint CNN Debate

The biases of CNN's Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, who are moderating the first 2024 presidential debate in Atlanta, will impact the event to the point that it will not matter what topic is being discussed, Ric Grenell, the former U.S. ambassador to Germany under Trump, said Thursday on Newsmax.

"Jake Tapper is a former Democratic staffer," Grenell told Newsmax's "Wake Up America." "He worked on the Hill for the Democrats."

He also pointed out that Bash's ex-husband, Jeremy Bash, was a CIA operative who signed a letter in 2020 along with 51 individuals that discredited the Hunter Biden laptop as being used as a tool for Russian interference.

The Federalist reported Wednesday that Jeremy Bash was highlighted in a report published by the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, noting that he was an "independent contractor" who held a "green badge" clearance from April 2, 2019, to April 1, 2022.

Grenell told Newsmax that he thinks that CNN picking Tapper and Bash to moderate the debate, signals "bias from beginning to end."

In addition, he questioned the background of the engineer who will be controlling the microphones during the debate. The microphones are only to be switched on when it is the candidate's turn to speak.

This week, CNN aired a story explaining how the podium system will work during the debate, and Grenell said he's "never seen something so condescending from the media."

"I mean, these guys at CNN literally are in total control of what's going on," he said. "You know, the most important person tonight is going to be the engineer who decides when microphones go on and off. I'd like to know who he or she is, how they voted."

Grenell also questioned calling Thursday night's event a debate.

"This is not a debate," he said. "This is a CNN scripted forum. It's outrageous. A debate. This is not a debate. This is a CNN-scripted forum, and I don't understand why this is happening. It's outrageous."

A debate, he added, is "about people being able to go back and forth without a time limit and to talk about issues in real-time, and to interrupt each other and say, you know what? That's not true."

Biden, meanwhile, "has set tonight to throw out one-liners constantly, but Trump has the facts on his side," said Grenell. "It's going to take a whole bunch of money and a whole bunch of manipulation for the Biden team to tell us that gas prices are low."

About NEWSMAX TV:

NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!

• Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
• Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE – See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com

• Karoline Leavitt to Newsmax: Getting Booted From CNN Proves Point
• CNN Debate Moderators Have Rocky History With Trump