How Did CNN's Debate Moderators Do?

The first presidential debate was moderated by network hosts Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, who faced mostly criticism from the left and mixed reactions from the right. 

For Context: Tapper was in the spotlight before the debate as journalists examined his career and an ongoing defamation lawsuit against his show, and raised questions about whether the debate could be moderated neutrally. 

How the Left Covered It: Outlets on the left and some in the center tended to argue that the moderators did not do enough to combat lies from Trump. Some outlets cited the lack of fact-checking and follow-up questions. A writer for Associated Press (Lean Left) said the moderators' questions were ignored by the candidates to the point that "it almost didn’t matter that Dana Bash and Jake Tapper were on stage."

How the Right Covered It: Some on the right were critical of the moderators, with a writer for The Federalist (Right) saying that pressing Trump about Jan 6. was "peak CNN." Independents like Glenn Greenwald (Center) and conservative writers like Isaac Schorr (Lean Right bias) complimented the moderators on X; Greenwald predicted that Democrats would blame Biden's performance on CNN's moderators.