‘Trump Lost the Presidency in That Debate’: Chris Wallace Recalls Disastrous Showdown He Moderated in 2020

CNN’s Chris Wallace said former President Donald Trump lost the White House thanks to his performance in the first debate against Joe Biden in 2020.

Wallace, who worked for Fox News at the time, moderated the debate, which one CNN host described as a “shitshow” immediately following its conclusion. Trump interrupted Biden and Wallace more than 140 times.

Biden and Trump will debate for the first time this cycle on Thursday. The candidate who is not designated to speak will have his microphone cut.

Wallace appeared on Wednesday’s installment of The Source on CNN, where host Kaitlan Collins sought his view on the upcoming event.

“Chris, I think everyone wants to know what you are thinking,” she said. “These clips of this debate have been being played back and forth ad nauseam. What’s it like for you to watch that and to think about this four years later?”

Wallace responded by alleging Trump lost the debate in that moment.

“In the immediate aftermath of that debate, I certainly – like a lot of Americans – was very disappointed with Donald Trump’s performance. On the other hand, I actually think it was one of the most consequential presidential debates in history. I actually think Donald Trump lost the presidency in that debate by his performance. He dropped about four or five points. He never regained it.”

Wallace went on to say that the “key question” for Trump in Thursday’s debate is, “Has he learned his lesson?”

Last month, Wallace appeared on CNN and said Trump would be “foolish” to repeat his 2020 performance.

“We had somebody count,” he said. “He interrupted Joe Biden or me, 145 times in 90 minutes. That’s more than once a minute. If he does that, I think it would be a big mistake and he’ll pay a price for it.”

Watch above via CNN.