Commission on Presidential Debates Co-Chair: ABC Moderators ‘Bent Backwards to Help’ Harris

VAN SUSTEREN The co ░░░░░░░░ and co chairman of ░░░░░░░░ nonpartisan commission on presidential ░░░░░░░░ CPD Frank J Fahrenkopf ░░░░░░░░ Joins me Good evening ░░░░░░░░ And what happened that ░░░░░░░░ debates by CPD which ░░░░░░░░ been going on for ░░░░░░░░ which were the few ░░░░░░░░ in the road but ░░░░░░░░ why are the networks ░░░░░░░░ doing these FAHRENKOPF I ░░░░░░░░ they want to make ░░░░░░░░ couple of bucks That ░░░░░░░░ one of the reasons ░░░░░░░░ took it over It ░░░░░░░░ came about when we ░░░░░░░░ a letter in early ░░░░░░░░ from the White House ░░░░░░░░ that President Biden would ░░░░░░░░ participate in any debate ░░░░░░░░ by the commission Donald ░░░░░░░░ had already indicated he ░░░░░░░░ debate with us if ░░░░░░░░ were going forward We ░░░░░░░░ already scheduled three debates ░░░░░░░░ debates with the vice ░░░░░░░░ in colleges across the ░░░░░░░░ But once that came ░░░░░░░░ a crash with the ░░░░░░░░ not willing to participate ░░░░░░░░ they went to CNN ░░░░░░░░ a take it or ░░░░░░░░ it plan They got ░░░░░░░░ dictate the format totally ░░░░░░░░ format than we ever ░░░░░░░░ and also dictate who ░░░░░░░░ moderators were and how ░░░░░░░░ was to be conducted ░░░░░░░░ then breaking we did ░░░░░░░░ minutes as you know ░░░░░░░░ without interruption no ads ░░░░░░░░ any sort So they ░░░░░░░░ changed the whole nature ░░░░░░░░ things And I was ░░░░░░░░ quite surprised when former ░░░░░░░░ Trump agreed to this ░░░░░░░░ on to this totally ░░░░░░░░ way to go VAN ░░░░░░░░ Well what was in ░░░░░░░░ really for I mean ░░░░░░░░ Biden did it first ░░░░░░░░ said that he wanted ░░░░░░░░ He gets to determine ░░░░░░░░ he gets to fuss ░░░░░░░░ whether the microphones are ░░░░░░░░ microphones He gets to ░░░░░░░░ about the format I ░░░░░░░░ I mean I mean ░░░░░░░░ weren t a lot ░░░░░░░░ don t remember any ░░░░░░░░ about the CPD I ░░░░░░░░ there may have been ░░░░░░░░ time to time some ░░░░░░░░ but this does seem ░░░░░░░░ a dramatic change And ░░░░░░░░ realize why the networks ░░░░░░░░ the money but I ░░░░░░░░ t get why President ░░░░░░░░ was so forceful about ░░░░░░░░ FAHRENKPOF My guess is ░░░░░░░░ I don t know ░░░░░░░░ don t know you ░░░░░░░░ have to ask that ░░░░░░░░ small group that were ░░░░░░░░ the White House advising ░░░░░░░░ on this matter I ░░░░░░░░ it may have been ░░░░░░░░ they knew our debates ░░░░░░░░ require the president to ░░░░░░░░ there for 90 minutes ░░░░░░░░ spend 15 minutes discussing ░░░░░░░░ detail various subjects and ░░░░░░░░ guess they felt that ░░░░░░░░ that perhaps again I ░░░░░░░░ t know this from ░░░░░░░░ own knowledge I m ░░░░░░░░ guessing this so they ░░░░░░░░ thought if they could ░░░░░░░░ him in a debate ░░░░░░░░ where he only has ░░░░░░░░ go for two minutes ░░░░░░░░ a subject maybe with ░░░░░░░░ one minute response that ░░░░░░░░ be more in his ░░░░░░░░ I have to believe ░░░░░░░░ was the motivation VAN ░░░░░░░░ I have to tell ░░░░░░░░ though that it really ░░░░░░░░ sort of disheartening to ░░░░░░░░ that because the American ░░░░░░░░ want transparency want a ░░░░░░░░ debate they don t ░░░░░░░░ people gaming And now ░░░░░░░░ hear that the networks ░░░░░░░░ sort of up to ░░░░░░░░ eyeballs in sort of ░░░░░░░░ know whether it s ░░░░░░░░ it one way or ░░░░░░░░ in order to get ░░░░░░░░ debates because there s ░░░░░░░░ I mean it s ░░░░░░░░ disheartening because the system ░░░░░░░░ democracy and transparency FAHRENKOPF ░░░░░░░░ is And I thought ░░░░░░░░ one of the things ░░░░░░░░ really that really shocked ░░░░░░░░ last night was the ░░░░░░░░ the moderators handled it ░░░░░░░░ know we always explained ░░░░░░░░ our moderators and we ░░░░░░░░ done 33 of those ░░░░░░░░ starting back in 1988 ░░░░░░░░ their job is to ░░░░░░░░ facilitators They re not ░░░░░░░░ get involved themselves It ░░░░░░░░ different than if you ░░░░░░░░ someone on your show ░░░░░░░░ you asked them a ░░░░░░░░ and they answered it ░░░░░░░░ a different way than ░░░░░░░░ said a month before ░░░░░░░░ would correct them But ░░░░░░░░ are not supposed to ░░░░░░░░ that A debate is ░░░░░░░░ the candidates not a ░░░░░░░░ between the candidate and ░░░░░░░░ moderators And these moderators ░░░░░░░░ far as I was ░░░░░░░░ it was the worst ░░░░░░░░ that I ve seen ░░░░░░░░ I ve as I ░░░░░░░░ I ve done 33 ░░░░░░░░ these things over the ░░░░░░░░ I don t know ░░░░░░░░ their thoughts were but ░░░░░░░░ clearly were oversized I ░░░░░░░░ on the way they ░░░░░░░░ the former president and ░░░░░░░░ way they treated the ░░░░░░░░ vice president I think ░░░░░░░░ bent backwards to help ░░░░░░░░ VAN SUSTEREN Frank Fahrenkopf ░░░░░░░░ you very much for ░░░░░░░░ me sir And I ░░░░░░░░ that the two parties ░░░░░░░░ to their senses if ░░░░░░░░ by the end of ░░░░░░░░ term in four years ░░░░░░░░ anyway sir because it ░░░░░░░░ always worked and it ░░░░░░░░ been a great service ░░░░░░░░ you FAHRENKOPF Thank you ░░░░░░░░