Upcoming presidential debate moderator and C-SPAN host Steve Scully claims his Twitter account was hacked after a tweet posted to his account concerning President Donald Trump raised red flags about his supposed objectivity.
“[Anthony Scaramucci] should I respond to trump,” said the tweet from Scully’s account. It has since been removed.
Notably, Scaramucci is an adversary of the president, though he briefly served as a White House communications director within the administration.
“Last night a tweet from Steve Scully, C-SPAN’s Political Editor, appeared on his timeline communicating with Anthony Scaramucci,” read a statement from C-SPAN, released Friday. “Steve Scully did not originate the tweet and believes his account has been hacked.”
According to the statement, an investigation has been opened into the tweet.
“The Commission on Presidential Debates has stated publicly that the tweet was not sent by Scully himself and is investigating with the help of authorities,” C-SPAN said. “When additional information is available, we will release it.”
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 9, 2020
Media reporter Joe Concha reported Friday that the Commission on Presidential Debates co-chair Frank Fahrenkopf told him the account was “hacked” but notably added that he has “no direct knowledge” of the alleged hack.
“Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) co-chair Frank Fahrenkopf tells me that he was told debate moderator Steve Scully’s Twitter account was hacked but adds he has no direct knowledge,” posted Concha.
Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) co-chair Frank Fahrenkopf tells me that he was told debate moderator Steve Scully's Twitter account was hacked but adds he has no direct knowledge.
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) October 9, 2020
“Steve is a man of great integrity, okay?” Fahrenkopf said, according to Fox News. “I don’t know this question about whether he tweeted something out or not, I do know, and you’ll probably pick up on it in a minute, that he was hacked… Apparently, there’s something now that’s been on television and the radio saying that he talked to Scaramucci… He was hacked. It didn’t happen.”
Scaramucci publicly replied to the concerning tweet on Thursday, telling Scully to “ignore” Trump.
“Ignore,” he wrote. “He is having a hard enough time. Some more bad stuff about to go down.”
Ignore. He is having a hard enough time. Some more bad stuff about to go down. https://t.co/cMphfQJELL
— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) October 9, 2020
On Friday, Scaramucci tweeted: “I accept [Steve Scully] at his word. Let’s not cancel anymore people from our culture for absolutely something like this. It’s insignificant. He is an objective journalist.”
As highlighted by The Daily Wire, there have already been concerns over Scully’s objectivity since it was learned that he used to intern for Democratic nominee Joe Biden when he was a senator.
The Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway reacted to the “hack” defense, “In a sea of admittedly bad possible explanations, this one is such an outlandish and unlikely one as to require far more than assertion without any evidence.”
In a sea of admittedly bad possible explanations, this one is such an outlandish and unlikely one as to require far more than assertion without any evidence.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) October 9, 2020
“They can’t possibly go with this,” said Megyn Kelly. “How stupid do they think we are?”
They can’t possibly go with this. How stupid do they think we are? https://t.co/RyMqBcYWUc
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) October 9, 2020
President Donald Trump posted Friday, “Steve Scully, the second Debate Moderator, is a Never Trumper, just like the son of the great Mike Wallace. Fix!!!”
Steve Scully, the second Debate Moderator, is a Never Trumper, just like the son of the great Mike Wallace. Fix!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2020
Related: ‘This Is Disqualifying’: Controversial Pick For Second Debate Moderator Ignites Critics With Tweet