CNN Panel Clash with Abby Phillip Over Claim ABC Moderators Were ‘Harsher’ On Trump

Conservative panelists on CNN Wednesday night episode of News Night With Abby Phillip sided with progressive Democrat Nina Turner’s claims that ABC debate moderators on Tuesday were “harsher” on former President Donald Trump and did not treat both candidates “exactly the same” when it came to fact-checking claims.

Following Tuesday’s ABC-hosted presidential showdown, pro-Trump conservatives have accused the network of blatant bias in favor of the Democratic nominee. Rarely, if at all, has a Democrat stepped out to argue the same.

Turner, however, a progressive Democrat who served on the Ohio state senate, stood by claims by her conservative co-panelists, ex-Trump advisor Brian Lanza and GOP strategist Scott Jennings, that Trump was treated “harsher” than Harris, citing the vice president’s changed stance on fracking.

As host Abby Phillip defended her claim that the debate fact-checking was balanced and fair, repeating Harris’s claim that her stance changed in 2020, all the guests turned on her, disputing Harris’s narrative.

TURNER: She had an extraordinary performance and President Donald J. Trump did not adapt. He still does think in his mind and he is running against President Biden, the vice president made it very clear: ‘You’re not running against Joe Biden’ – but he did not adapt. He didn’t change, he didn’t have any vision. It was all, you know, what is all wrong with America. He could have changed, he could have pivoted, but he didn’t take the opportunity to pivot. I will say this when I rewatched it… I will give it to you guys that some of the questions that they asked and came back at the president were harsher. More than one thing can be true at the same time, but there is a however, he did not…

LANZA: Thank you for your honesty.

PHILLIP: I’m curious what you think was harsher? I’m just honestly curious.

TURNER: Well, the fact about her ethnicity question, I think that is why you keep bringing that up, you know, pressing him on that Project 2025. Look, the man said he has nothing to do with it. We can debate whether he has something to do with it or not. On the fracking question, to the vice president, and this is me as a liberator… She in 2019, when she was running, she said, ‘I’m done with fracking’ – you know and we’re going to do away with it. You can’t say you’re going to do away with it, they had a dead to rights on that. What you can say as a candidate that I’m not in 2019, I’m not 2020. And you know what, I’ve changed my mind.

PHILLIP: I guess the point, the reality of it, is that she reversed herself in 2020…

JENNINGS: That’s not true. It’s a weak argument.

LANZA: No way, Scott. It’s a lie.

TURNER: What I’m saying is that more than one thing can be true at the same time.

I’m with Nina on this.

TURNER: President Donald J. Trump lost, the device and all that, his followers are saying they did not happen, he lost. He was not prepared. He thought he’s going to bulldoze his way in. He wouldn’t even look at the vice president. He lost.

At the same time. I did analyze what the moderators were doing and they did not treat her the exact same.

Watch above on CNN.