The confusion surrounding the 2nd presidential debate continued to grow Friday after a Commission Co-Chair claimed a Tweet regarding President Trump from the event’s moderator actually originated from a “hacker.”
BREAKING: Debate moderator Steve Scully's Twitter account was hacked, debate commission official says
Scully's sent a tweet to Anthony Scaramucci asking for advice on whether he should "respond to" Trump's attacks on him.https://t.co/LWKLEdSxvE for @dcexaminer
— Daniel Chaitin (@danielchaitin7) October 9, 2020
CPD Co-Chair Frank Fahrenkopf tells @kilmeade on "The Brian Kilmeade Show" in regards to @SteveScully tweet to @Scaramucci: "He was hacked, it didn't happen."
— Pat Ward (@WardDPatrick) October 9, 2020
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
“Frank Fahrenkopf, the co-chairman for the Commission on Presidential Debates, said on the Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News Radio on Friday that the tweet was not sent by Scully himself,” reports the Washington Examiner.
“Steve is a man of great integrity, OK. He worked for Biden, he was in law school, and he became an intern. … That’s when he interned for him,” he said. “I do know, and you probably pick up on it in a minute, that he was hacked. There was apparently something now that being was on television and the radio saying that he talked to [Anthony] Scaramucci … and that he’s been talking to Scaramucci, he was hacked. It didn’t happen.”
Read the full report at the Washington Examiner.
AXELROD ON BIDEN: ‘He Either Can Cut It, Or He Can’t’
Democratic strategist David Axelrod weighed-in Thursday on Joe Biden’s potentially reduced campaign schedule; saying “this is bad advice” and claiming the former Vice President can “either cut it or he can’t.”
“This is bad advice. You can’t cloister the candidate and win. He either can cut it or he can’t, and the only way he can prove he can is to be an active and vigorous candidate. He’s running for president of the United States, for God’s sake!” posted Axelrod on social media.
This is bad advice. You can’t cloister the candidate and win.
He either can cut it or he can’t, and the only way he can prove he can is to be an active and vigorous candidate.
He’s running for president of the United States, for God’s sake!https://t.co/SCZmqVYapF— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) August 15, 2019
Allies and political insiders close to Joe Biden are reportedly telling the former Vice President to scale back his campaign stops and speaking events; hoping the reduced schedule will minimize future speaking gaffes.
“Allies to Joe Biden have been floating the idea of altering the former vice president’s schedule in an effort to reduce the gaffes he has made in recent days,” reports The Hill. “The allies, growing increasingly nervous about Biden’s verbal flubs, have said it’s an approach that’s been suggested to campaign officials on the heels of the former vice president’s stumbles.”
“He needs to be a strong force on the campaign trail, but he also has to pace himself,” said one insider.
“I think you’ll see the same schedule and maybe even more Joe Biden,” one ally said. “Everyone wants to see Joe Biden be Joe Biden. If he’s held back in any way, that’s almost the antithesis of who he is.”
“I think it’s the wrong approach,” they added.
“Joe Biden has spoken his mind his entire life, which voters know and love about him,” said Biden’s deputy campaign manager. “He’s a real person, he’s authentic, and that will never change. He’s going to keep taking on Trump and making the case to voters about the stakes we face in this election, regardless of how the press chooses to cover him.”
President Trump routinely refers to Biden as “sleepy Joe.”
‘MAKES NO SENSE’: Biden Launches Bizarre Rant on Healthcare, ‘Let Me Put It Another Way’
Former Vice President Joe Biden continued his gaffe-filled campaign this week; launching a bizarre rant over “maintaining affordable healthcare” to “make sure it makes sense.”
“We have to make sure everyone has access to maintain, maintain affordable health insurance coverage. We should be making it easier, not harder, to make sure, to make sense, let me put it another way, it makes no sense,” said Biden during a virtual town hall event.
Yes, I think we can all agree that you're not making any sense 👇 pic.twitter.com/NoQoMphGGw
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) April 9, 2020
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders suspended his presidential campaign Wednesday; clearing the path for the Democratic nomination of former Vice President Joe Biden to take on Donald Trump this November.
“Sanders was unable to build on his early momentum in the race after wins in New Hampshire and Nevada as well as virtual tie in Iowa, going on to lose a string of states to Biden after the former vice president consolidated the support of moderate Democrats,” reports the Hill.
#BREAKING: Bernie Sanders ends 2020 presidential campaign, paving way for Joe Biden https://t.co/ckizUKrb25 pic.twitter.com/cPNzIddkHI
— The Hill (@thehill) April 8, 2020
Bernie Sanders is ending his presidential bid. The progressive was the front-runner until the Democratic establishment consolidated around Joe Biden. https://t.co/Zi5olL3jBI
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) April 8, 2020
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.