Trump Now Calls Debate ‘Rigged’ Due to Antagonistic Moderator
In the wake of extensive criticism of presidential debate moderator Lester Holt for aggressively confronting Republican candidate Donald Trump and lobbing softballs at Democrat Hillary Clinton, Trump is changing his verdict of how the debate was conducted.
“And then I had to put up with the anchor and fight the anchor all the time on everything I said. What a rigged deal,” Trump told a New Hampshire crowd Thursday.
“I tell you, we are in such a rigged — it is terrible. What’s going on in this country is so sad. But it will change. Remember Nov. 8th,” he added.
The word “rigged” has become part of the standard Trump campaign vocabulary. For example, elsewhere in his speech Monday, he noted, “The people getting rich off the rigged system are the people throwing their money at Hillary Clinton.
He also stated, “We are going to take on the special interests, the lobbyists, and the corrupt corporate media that have rigged the system against everyday Americans.”
While Hillary profits off the rigged system, I am fighting for you! Remember the simple phrase: #FollowTheMoney https://t.co/eNNbp4Xvry pic.twitter.com/rJXAzsaIwI
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 29, 2016
When Trump finished Monday night’s debate, he had no complaints. He said Holt did a “great job” and the questions were “very fair.”
When reflection set in, and he could see the different ways the candidates were treated, he revised his opinion.
“When I first did it, I thought he was fine, I wasn’t thinking about it, but when I reviewed it and when I saw all of the commentary — because a lot of people thought he was terrible — and I looked at all of the commentary, I realized he was much, much tougher on me than he was on Hillary, it was like day and night,” Trump told Bill O’Reilly of Fox News Wednesday night.
“Nobody tuned in to hear what Lester Holt had to say,” said New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. “Nobody wants Lester Holt to be a fact-checker.”
Holt’s disparity in handling the candidates was also commented upon by Kelly Riddell in the Washington Times, who gave Holt an “F” for her performance.
“Mr. Trump got the most pointed questions all night, on racist stop-and-frisk, birtherism, his tax returns, Mrs. Clinton’s ‘stamina’ and being the first woman president. Mrs. Clinton’s email server? Not so much. FBI investigation? Nada. Pay for play allegations with the Clinton Foundation? Not worth it. Nearly all of Mr. Holt’s follow-up questions were directed at Mr. Trump, not Mrs. Clinton. Most of his interruptions were of Mr. Trump,” she wrote.
Clinton and Trump debate again Oct. 9, where ABC’s Martha Raddatz and CNN’s Anderson Cooper will moderate. The final debate is Oct. 19 and Chris Wallace of Fox News Channel will be the moderator. (For more from the author of “Trump Now Calls Debate ‘Rigged’ Due to Antagonistic Moderator” please click HERE)
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