Trump official says CNN can't handle criticism after host shut down her interview: 'Censored me'
Trump 2024 National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt attacked CNN on Monday night after "CNN This Morning" host Kasie Hunt cut her off mid-interview while discussing the upcoming first presidential debate.
"CNN censored me today because they can't handle the truth," Leavitt said on "Hannity." "They have been pushing lies about President Trump since he stepped into the political arena eight years ago."
Hunt abruptly ended her interview with Leavitt on Monday after the Trump campaign spokeswoman criticized the CNN Presidential Debate moderators, Dana Bash and Jake Tapper, arguing they were biased against former President Trump.
Hunt defended Tapper and Bash on her show, telling Leavitt that her colleagues have "acquitted themselves as professionals as they have covered campaigns and interviewed candidates from all sides of the aisle." Later in her conversation with Leavitt, Hunt completely cut off the interview.
"They have an anti-Trump bias that is at the core of their organization and we should not expect anything less from them at Thursday night's debate," Leavitt told Fox News host Sean Hannity.
"[CNN] still wants Americans to believe, laughably, that they're the most trusted name in news," Leavitt said. "They are not."
Leavitt has repeatedly said that Trump is going into the first presidential debate on Thursday against difficult odds, calling it "a three-on-one cage match" with President Biden, Tapper and Bash "who have a long history of lies" against Trump.
However, Trump has a "great opportunity" to "highlight his strength, his willingness to fight for the American people with Joe Biden's weakness and his incompetence and terrible policies that are failing this country," she said, adding that CNN has "largely refused to cover" negative Biden news.
CNN DEBATE MODERATOR JAKE TAPPER'S SHARPEST ANTI-TRUMP COMMENTARY OVER THE YEARS
A CNN spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Monday, "Jake Tapper and Dana Bash are well respected veteran journalists who have covered politics for more than five decades combined. They have extensive experience moderating major political debates, including CNN’s Republican Presidential Primary Debate this cycle. There are no two people better equipped to co-moderate a substantial and fact-based discussion and we look forward to the debate on June 27 in Atlanta."
Both Biden and Trump agreed to the rules of the debate, which include muted microphones outside their speaking time, no live audience, no pre-written notes and no consulting with campaign aides during breaks.
CNN did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital regarding Levitt's most recent remarks about the network.
Fox News' Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.