The Internet Agrees With Jim Clyburn Slamming Dana Bash for Not Fact-Checking Trump: 'Too Scared'

President Joe Biden has come under heavy fire for his 'lackluster' performance during the first 2024 presidential debate on June 27. As per The Hill, Congressman Jim Clyburn, a devout Democrat, backed Biden and criticized CNN's Chief Political Correspondent, Dana Bash, for not fact-checking former President Donald Trump during the debate. “If I asked you a question, and you lied to me with the answer, I would have followed up and given you what the facts are and seen what your reaction to that would be. So that to me was not the way to plan the debate. And whoever did that and agreed to that really should think about what they’re doing,” he said.

Netizens couldn't agree more with the senator's statement. An X user echoed, "Congressman Jim Clyburn was the MVP of the Biden campaign in 2020. And he’s certainly not disappointing in 2024 either. He speaks with such moral clarity that I’ll always listen to what he has to say. I know it comes from a good place. He told Dana Bash what she needed to hear."

Another user criticized, "She is salty. He proposed the debate but not without fact-checking. She isn’t slick. Her, Tapper, and CNN failed miserably. CNN got what they wanted. We see them and the rest as well." Another user chimed, "My question why didn't reporters fact-check Donald Trump right away? Too scared. I would have. 'That's a lie, sir.'"

In a similar vein, a netizen reasoned, "By not fact-checking during the debate, @CNN was equally complicit in all of Donald Trump’s lies. When he lied to the American people, CNN lied to the American people. End of discussion. It was unprofessional and a violation of journalistic ethics." Reiterating similar sentiments, a user penned, "It didn't occur to CNN, Bash, and Tapper, that Trump, a narcissistic pathological liar, who lied 30,573 times while in office and tens of thousands of times since, fact-checking was vital. Or was it aiding and abetting, and complicity on their part?"

As the comments poured in, a user slammed Bash, "Look at her body language. @DanaBashCNN is disgusted with herself because she has just now figured out that she and @JakeTapper destroyed any journalistic credibility they may have had by agreeing to Trump’s demand that he not be fact-checked during the debate. Unforgivable."

Others however defended the journalists. "That’s not how debates work. Moderators don’t refute claims, they ask questions. The opposing parties are the ones who refute the claims of the other parties." During the discussion with Bash, Clyburn added, “I think that Joe Biden will do well with the [second] debate. I think it all depends on what the rules are. I don’t like the debate when nobody will do any fact-checking. You just say what you want to say. You know it’s a lie. The guy told 30 some odd lies and nobody checked him on it. Instead, that was up to Joe Biden to do so.” 

In her response, Bash mentioned that Biden's staff had consented to the parameters of the discussion. CNN also praised its journalists with an official statement, “We are very proud of Jake and Dana. Our job was to make sure candidates were heard so voters can make informed decisions and we are pleased we were able to do that.”