In the wake of Biden and Trump first 2024 presidential debate (June 27) progressives focus their fire on CNN Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, calling out the duo for not fact-checking Trump in real time during the 90-minute face off.

Thursday’s clash featured a performance by President Joe Biden that many call disastrous for his re-election chances, with CNN’s own post-debate panelists suggesting the president should consider withdrawing from the race.

But Biden’s behavior also distracted viewers from Trump’s numerous untruths, such as falsely claiming (per The Guardian, Washington Post and New Republic) that Dems support post-birth abortion, that he had “best environmental numbers ever,” that Nancy Pelosi declined an offer to deploy troops on Jan. 6 (that’s not her purview, for starters, but it was in his), that his tax cuts were the “largest in history” (try fourth), that Biden called Black Americans “superpredators” (no evidence of this), and that migrants hurt Social Security and Medicare (having more workers actually helps pay into the funds).

Washington Post commentator Karen Attiah wrote: “CNN’s moderating decisions damage the credibility of our profession. CNN’s format of no fact checking, no pushback, no follow-ups was a mistake. The Biden campaign agreeing to this was a mistake. It demonstrates Trump’s strength and power. He can bend the media and Biden to play by his rules.”

Kate Smith, director of news for Planned Parenthood, wrote on X: “How are none of the moderators fact checking this post birth abortion nonsense?? That was a dumpster fire.”

Former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann posted on X: “CNN’s decision to abrogate its journalistic responsibilities by not fact-checking Trump’s firehose of lies is unforgivable.”

Nicholas Kristof, a New York Times columnist, wrote on X: “I wish the CNN moderators did more fact-checking, letting the audience know when things are said that are flatly false. Not sure how it helps for a platform to transmit falsehoods disguised as facts.”