Trump Campaign Alleges CNN Bias Ahead of High-Stakes Debate

Ahead of Thursday's highly anticipated presidential debate, former President Trump's campaign is engaged in a fierce clash with CNN, warning of a "three against one" scenario that they argue will only benefit President Biden.

Instead of trying to influence the moderators, Trump and his supporters are outright attacking them, accusing CNN's Jake Tapper and Dana Bash of having an anti-Trump bias. This tactic appears aimed at setting expectations early, suggesting that the former president will face unfair treatment during the debate.

Here is what you need to know

The tension escalated on Monday morning when CNN anchor Kasie Hunt abruptly ended an interview with Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Leavitt had repeatedly tried to bring up Tapper's previous critical coverage of Trump. The reaction from Trump's supporters was swift and loud, leading CNN to issue a statement defending Tapper and Bash amid the flood of pro-Trump criticism.

"This proved our point that President Trump will not be treated fairly on Thursday. Yet he is still willing to go into this 3-1 fight to bring his winning message to the American people, and he will win," Leavitt tweeted.

Thursday's prime-time event is notable as it will be the first time in decades that a single TV network, rather than the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, will organize a general election debate. The role of the moderators, especially in live fact-checking, is under intense scrutiny due to Trump's ongoing feud with CNN and his false claims about the 2020 election.

What is CNN saying?

CNN political director David Chalian told the New York Times that Tapper and Bash would focus on "facilitating the debate between these candidates, not being a participant in that debate."

Is Trump attempting to lower the expectations? 

Trump's rhetoric regarding the debate has been inconsistent. After initially calling on Biden to debate him "anywhere, anytime, any place" and expressing willingness to accept any moderator, Trump complained on Saturday that the debate format is "like death." He has also oscillated in his portrayal of Biden, at times suggesting Biden is a formidable debater while also claiming his rival is barely able to walk or form sentences.

Most recently, Trump called for Biden to take a drug test ahead of the debate, promoting an unfounded theory that the president used stimulants for his energetic State of the Union address.

This strategy follows a familiar pattern for Trump: claim the system is "rigged" against him and leverage the ensuing outrage if things do not go in his favor.

In a surprising twist, Trump recently suggested that Democrats might replace Biden if he performs poorly in the debate, even joking, "I'll make sure he stays. I'll lose the debate on purpose, maybe I'll do something like that."