In CNN’s Reliable Sources newsletter on Wednesday, the network’s senior media reporter harshly criticized his employer’s decision to air a live town hall for Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who at one point continued to push conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6 insurrection over the protests of host Abby Phillip.
Oliver Darcy wrote that he disapproved of “helping to legitimize the dishonest GOP presidential hopeful who has spewed dangerous lies and injected poison into the national discourse at every chance.”
“The notion that the infotainer, who CNN has reported ‘struggles for relevance’ as he polls in the low single digits and remains exceedingly unlikely to be the Republican Party’s nominee, deserves an hour-long national platform to sell his personal brand and insidious talking points to the masses taxes the imagination,” he explained.
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In one particularly awkward moment, Ramaswamy and Phillip got into a tense back-and-forth over whether Jan. 6 was an “inside job.” Ramaswamy used the opportunity to pick up where he left off at last week’s GOP primary debate by claiming—falsely—“we know that there were federal law enforcement agents in that field.”
The baseless claim led to CNN running a fact-check segment right after the town hall ended. “Make no doubt about it: There is no evidence that what he is saying is true,” CNN’s Tom Foreman said, citing the public statements of FBI Director Christopher Wray and the findings of several courts.
Despite the viral moment, Ramaswamy’s presence on the airwaves wasn’t worth it, argued Darcy, who had similarly opined against CNN’s town hall for Donald Trump earlier this year, echoing the concerns of many.
“Why would any major news network help to validate such a preposterous figure by putting him on stage and allowing him to infect the public with his conspiracy campaign?” he asked.
“Handing Ramaswamy a microphone and putting him on a stage affixed with CNN’s iconic branding to answer audience questions helps validate him and provides oxygen to the menacing wildfire of delusions he has pushed into the public discourse.”
A CNN spokesperson defended the town hall, telling Darcy that Ramaswamy “is a significant candidate for the GOP nomination, having made every debate stage thus far.”
“The Iowa voters have questions for him before casting their ballots,” the spokesperson said. “We will always work to hold every candidate accountable and provide voters with the information necessary to make informed decisions going into an election.”
