The moderators picked by CBS to run its vice presidential debate, between GOP candidate JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz, were assessed by a multitude to have been biased toward the Democrat, just as the ABC moderators during the presidential debate a few weeks ago exhibited their bias.

And a commentator at the Daily Signal is crediting Vance with having delivered a “masterclass” to CBS in dealing with such partisanship.

Commentator Jarrett Stepman wrote, “Not only did Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, handle obviously skewed questions. He also refused to allow the moderators – a “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell and “Face the Nation” chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan – to live “fact-check” him without calling them out on it.”

“When Brennen tried to interject with a comment on Haitian illegal immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, before moving on to the next question, Vance stopped her. She tried to cut him off with a ‘we just don’t have time with all these questions to allow you to respond,’ but Vance wasn’t having it. ‘Margaret, the rules were that you guys weren’t going to fact-check, and since you are fact-checking me I think it’s important to say what’s actually going on,’ Vance said,” he reported.

“The Ohio Republican went on to explain how illegal aliens can use a government app, CPB One, to apply for legal status, which he said was a part of the Biden-Harris administration’s open border policies. The moderators continued trying to stop Vance, but he kept speaking. They even cut off his microphone. But Vance didn’t look reckless or like a boor. He looked like a guy who took the discussion – and the intelligence of the American people – seriously. This is how it should be done.”

He said the CBS moderators were “nearly as biased as the ABC News moderators” for the September 10 presidential debate.

JD Vance SLAPS, calling out the debate moderators for failing to follow their own rules on fact checking. #VPdebate pic.twitter.com/02W7XDv4fX

— WorldNetDaily (@worldnetdaily) October 2, 2024

When @JDVance live fact-checked the debate moderators incorrect fact-check, he was right. Even Chris Cuomo called it out. pic.twitter.com/ihmkK2sOtr

— WorldNetDaily (@worldnetdaily) October 2, 2024

When the moderators interjected with their false fact check against debate rules, JD Vance correctly set the record straight. MSNBC calls that mansplaining. https://t.co/oqYlPuy9Mu

— WorldNetDaily (@worldnetdaily) October 2, 2024

They “cherry-picked” questions to be of interested to leftists, and steered the discussion toward topics that help Democrats. And, for example, they entirely ignored the huge scandal in which Walz has been involved over stolen valor – his multiple lies about his military service.

Moderators, he said, “don’t just ask biased questions these days; they now actively participate in the debate to help whatever Democrat is on stage.”

He cited “a funny moment.”

“Vance pushed Walz, Kamala Harris’ running mate, on a Minnesota law that allows babies to be killed after a botched abortion. It was a law that Walz signed. But Walz didn’t and seemingly couldn’t answer the question. Instead, Walz just pointed to the moderators and said they ‘fact-checked’ it last time. He clearly wanted the ‘moderators’ to step in and help him. They didn’t deliver the life preserver this time, but it’s understandable why Walz thought they would.”

A report in the Daily Mail said a multitude of pundits and commentators “were not all pleased” with the moderators’ bias.

Talk show host Megyn Kelly responded to the CBS stunt: “Tried to fact check. JD put you in your place. You won’t [let] him fight you and you wont let them debate.”

Another on social media said, “JD Vance called out the moderators for lying to the audience, and CBS immediately muted him. Legacy media is clearly controlled by the Democrats.”

The network, before the debate, had lied about what its moderators would do, promising they “would not be doing live fact-checking.”

That came after ABC’s one-sided performance, with Kamala Harris, against President Donald Trump.

During the exchange that the moderators provoked, Brennan suddenly shut off the microphones and boasted, “Gentlemen the audience can’t hear you because your mics are cut.”

Brit Hume noted, “‘The moderators were obnoxious and made it feel like three-on-one on Vance, and Vance was just fine.”

WND has reported the ABC stunts were so egregious that there were questions whether the network should be reportion the 90 minutes of air time as a political campaign contribution to Harris.

The network has refused to say whether that reporting will be done.

It was Beth Brelje, an award-winning investigative journalist and elections correspondent for the Federalist, who wrote the ABC debate this week was a “90-minute ambush to boost Kamala Harris.”

She explained, “Working as a team, ABC hosts David Muir and Linsey Davis propped up Harris and repeatedly tried to vanquish Trump by talking over him, cutting him off, and asking bizarre questions they did not ask Harris. At one point, Davis jumped in for Harris and offered a rebuttal to one of Trump’s comments on abortion, a move beyond the scope of a moderator.

“It was not a debate, but a campaign contribution. That’s not a big surprise from either moderator, as Muir hosts the most Trump-negative network news evening broadcast and Davis has a long track record of promoting Democrat talking points including stolen election claims from Hillary Clinton.”

She reported, “In broadcasting, where advertising is sold by the second, time really is money. A 30-second commercial in the February Super Bowl cost $7 million. CBS charged $225,000 for a half-minute ad during a 2016 debate between former President Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. CNN sold ad packages for the June 27 debate between Trump and President Joe Biden for a minimum of $1.5 million per package, which included two 30-second ads, plus a few online ads.”

While ABC’s charges weren’t known right away, assuming a “lowball” figure of $225,000 for half a minute, the 90-minute campaign promotion “comes to a contribution to the Harris Walz campaign of at least $40.5 million.”

In the CBS debate, both moderators already have expressed opposition to Trump. In the ABC event, “it was revealed moderator Davis was a sorority sister of Harris, and the ABC News chief, Dana Walden, was a “close personal friend” of Harris who introduced her to her now-husband.

Bob Unruh

Bob Unruh joined WND in 2006 after nearly three decades with the Associated Press, as well as several Upper Midwest newspapers, where he covered everything from legislative battles and sports to tornadoes and homicidal survivalists. He is also a photographer whose scenic work has been used commercially. Read more of Bob Unruh's articles here.