News and Commentary

Chris Wallace Faces Intense Backlash, Including From Colleagues, Over Bias During Debate

   DailyWire.com
Debate moderator and Fox News anchor Chris Wallace directs the first presidential debate at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, on September 29, 2020.
Olivier Douliery/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Fox News host Chris Wallace, a registered Democrat, faced intense backlash on Tuesday night for what was widely deemed as bias in the debate in the favor of Democrat Joe Biden and against Republican President Donald Trump.

One of the issues that Wallace was called out for the most was how he appeared to let Biden interrupt Trump but would jump in to interrupt Trump when Trump would talk over Biden.

Fox News host Brian Kilmeade even noted the discrepancy and called it out on social media, writing: “Why is @JoeBiden allowed to interrupt? @realDonaldTrump is not.”

Fox News host Laura Ingraham made a similar point, writing: “Biden seems to interrupt with impunity.”

Fox News contributor Andy McCarthy wrote: “I love Chris Wallace, but he should get out of the way.”

McCarthy added: “Biden doesn’t support the Green New Deal. Oh, Wallace got that out of him? No, Trump did. Oh, well, did Wallace clarify what’s parts of Green New Deal Biden is against? No, needed to move on …”

McCarthy added: “Chris Wallace jumps in a second time when Biden having trouble with Trump’s questioning.”

Fox News host Greg Gutfeld said that it was “not good” when Wallace reportedly laughed with Biden.

Bill O’Reilly, who used to be a colleague of Wallace’s, wrote on Twitter: “Good line from Trump—he tells Chris Wallace he’s debating him, not Joe.”

O’Reilly added: “Chris Wallace doesn’t have the facts at his command about the Ukraine payments made to Biden’s son that Trump brought up. Big mistake by Mr. Wallace.”

Attorney Harmeet Dhillon wrote on Twitter: “Chris Wallace is a disgrace. Republicans need to stop allowing the slanted media to have any role in debates in future years.”

Actor James Woods wrote on Twitter: “Chris Wallace is shamelessly biased. It’s a beautiful demonstration of fake news in action. I’m actually glad it’s happening, because you can see it for yourself.”

Journalist Yashar Ali, who was Hillary Clinton’s co-chair on her 2008 presidential campaign, wrote on Twitter that there was “no doubt” that “Wallace is not doing a good job  as a debate moderator.”

Newsweek editor Josh Hammer wrote on Twitter: “Just an inexcusable effort tonight from Chris Wallace. And I say that as someone who is generally a fan of his.”

Federal co-founder Sean Davis wrote on Twitter: “Chris Wallace is now reading Biden’s energy plan back to him to remind Biden what’s in his plan. I have never, never seen anything like this from a moderator.”

Davis added: “Chris Wallace is making very clear that his goal tonight is to run interference for Joe Biden. If he wants to be a deranged NeverTrumper, that’s his prerogative, but Wallace is doing everything in his power to tilt the election toward his preferred candidate. Everyone can see it.”

Ben Shapiro wrote on Twitter: “Chris Wallace, over the course of the night, has moved from moderator to debater.”

Conservative commentator Jesse Kelly wrote on Twitter: “Ok, I don’t generally nitpick moderators, but Chris Wallace asking Joe Biden about the ‘very fine people’ thing without bringing up that it’s a flat-out lie is an absolute embarrassment.”

Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell tweeted: “Chris Wallace is supposed to be invisible. He isn’t. He’s off to a terrible start.”

Grenell added: “Chris Wallace doesn’t interrupt Joe Biden.”

Commentator Candace Owens tweeted: “Unbelievable. Every person in America knows these riots are being orchestrated by black lives matter and Antifa. Chris Wallace asks the President to condemn white supremacists but did not think to ask Joe Biden to condemn Antifa or BLM.”

RealClearInvestigations Senior Writer Mark Hemingway wrote: “Chris Wallace calling critical race theory ‘racial sensitivity training’ is totally ignorant of what’s being taught. It is racist and anti-American. Appalling.”

Political commentator Harry Khachatrian tweeted: “Chris Wallace chuckling and joking with Biden during the debate, mid-question is grossly unprofessional conduct from a moderator.”

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter wrote: “Every time Trump is nailing Biden, Chris Wallace interrupts. ‘That’s the next topic!'”

MSNBC host Joe Scarborough wrote: “Where is Chris Wallace? This is a disgrace.”

Former White House doctor Ronny Jackson tweeted: “Fire Chris Wallace! He is an embarrassment to Fox News!!”

Former CNN host Soledad O’Brien wrote: “Hellllo Chris Wallace??? Looking for a moderator here. Jesus Christ what a fricken mess.”

Leftist Mikel Jollett wrote: “Dear Chris Wallace: You are a national embarrassment.”

Conservative Dana Loesch wrote on Twitter: “Never allow Chris Wallace to moderate another debate again. This was an absolute shit show. The viewer wasn’t even a secondary concern.”

Conservative commentator Kurt Schlichter wrote: “Everybody hates Chris Wallace, and no that’s not proof that he’s good. It’s proof that he sucks.”

Daily Caller Editor in Chief Geoffrey Ingersoll wrote: “Chris Wallace calling critical race theory ‘racial sensitivity training’ is honestly f***ing sad. This s**t is not circa 1980s corporate hr seminars. Herding whites only into white privilege indoctrination is not ‘racial sensitivity.’ It’s racial insensitivity.”

Conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey wrote on Twitter: “I generally like Chris Wallace. This is a HARD debate to moderate. But it’s just true that this debate is very clearly two against one.”

Political strategist Chris Barron wrote on Twitter: “Biden/Wallace won the debate. Don’t try to spin me with some bs. Fox News just handed the most important debate in history to the left. And they did it on purpose. If you have one set of rules you enforce it on all participants. Chris Wallace failed miserably.”

The Reagan Battalion wrote: “Joe Biden better buy Chris Wallace a beer after he saved his a** so many times tonight.”

National security expert David Reaboi wrote: “Every time Trump is landing blows, Wallace comes to shut it down.”

Radio host Hugh Hewitt wrote: “Strong, strong, strong answer by @realDonaldTrump interrupted by Wallace. ‘They were teaching people to hate our country and I’m not going to let that happen.’ Defining moment.”

This story has been updated to include additional reaction from pundits on Chris Wallace’s performance during the debate.

Got a tip worth investigating?

Your information could be the missing piece to an important story. Submit your tip today and make a difference.

Submit Tip
The Daily Wire   >  Read   >  Chris Wallace Faces Intense Backlash, Including From Colleagues, Over Bias During Debate