CNN’s Jim Acosta did not let Chad Wolf parse his way out of answering if he believed that Biden won the 2020 election.
Video:
Acosta asked Wolf if he agreed that Biden won the 2020 election fair and square.
Wolf gave a non-answer.
Acosta asked again, “Do you think there was election fraud?”
Wolf said, “I think there’s a number of election irregularities, illegalities, and fraud. That’s been widely reported on both the right and the left.”
Acosta pressed Wolf, “But enough to alter the outcome of the 2020 election? Are you an election denier?”
Wolf tried to change the subject to election fraud, “I would say any type of fraud, any type of election fraud — this is important. Any type of — I don’t want to just bypass was it a little or a lot. Any fraud should be addressed. I don’t think we can say, hey, there’s a little fraud, so that’s okay. I think that’s very important.”
Jim Acosta asked the direct question, “Who won the 2020 election?”
Wolf gave the standard Trump world non-answer, “Obviously, Joe Biden is president. I just answered your question.”
Acosta, “He is the president obviously.”
Jim Acosta called out the parse, “I’ve seen folks from Trump world parse this out. Do you believe that he won that election fair and square?” Wolf went back to the fraud claims, “I believe — I just answered the question, first. Let me answer it in two parts. One, Joe Biden is president. Two, a number of irregularities, illegalities and fraud occurred during 2020. Again, I don’t have all of that evidence. I think there’s been a number of reporting —
The CNN host responded, “You sound like a conspiracy theorist and an election denier.”
The whole exchange lasted for nearly three minutes, which is an eternity in cable news terms. Jim Acosta wouldn’t let Chad Wolf off of the hook. It is important for journalists not to allow Trump election deniers to skate on such a fundamental question to democracy.
Part of maintaining a democracy is the acceptance of election results as legitimate.
Republicans like Chad Wolf who refuse to accept election results are not only appeasing Trump. They are poisoning American democracy.
Mr. Easley is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
