CNN Opts Not to Televise Most of Day 1 of Amy Coney Barrett Confirmation Hearing

CNN on Monday opted against airing most of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s first hearing with Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump’s nominee to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat on the Supreme Court.

The network cut away from the hearing after opening statements from Committee Chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), interrupting Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to hold a panel about the hearing, which was moderated by host Poppy Harlow.

The network spent the balance of the morning covering topics that included the coronavirus pandemic, the state of the economy, and early voting in Georgia, among other topics. It did return to the hearing briefly in the 1:00 p.m. hour to hear an opening statement delivered by Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), the Democratic Party’s nominee for vice president, and in the 2:00 p.m. hour to hear remarks from Barrett.

That programming decision ran contrary to the network’s competitors, Fox News and MSNBC. Both of those networks carried the hearing in full, with the exception of brief interludes filled by their own analysts. That coverage included statements from members including Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Mike Lee (R-UT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Ted Cruz (R-TX).

The Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on whether to move Barrett’s nomination forward to the full Senate after hearings conclude on Oct. 15. A vote in the full Senate is expected to take place on October 26.

CNN did not return a request for comment from Mediaite.

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