Conservative commentator Pat Buchanan and CNN’s Michael Smerconish got into a heated exchange Saturday over Donald Trump’s refusal to say whether he’ll accept the election results.
“I don’t know if the vote is going to be rigged, but I certainly do know this, Michael. The system is rigged against Trump,” said Buchanan, adding that the media’s reaction to the Republican presidential candidate’s words have been “hysterical.”
“What do they think he’s going to do? He’s going to march on Washington as the head of Coxesy’s army? Is he going to burn down the capital or something? What explains this panic over a simple comment?”
Buchanan, a former Republican presidential candidate, also accused the press of administering “the most savage beating I’ve ever seen by the media against a candidate.”
“Trump made a statement about rapists when he came down that elevator. It’s been repeated 10,000 times. Hillary Clinton has called half of Trump supporters racist, sexist, homophobes, irredeemable. Which of those two quotes has CNN used more often?” Buchanan argued.
This didn’t go down well with Smerconish, who chided him for conflating media bias with a rigged election.
“Voters on the right and left want to have faith in the electoral system,” Smerconish insisted.
“You’re setting the stage for people to wake up on November 9 and question the legitimacy if it’s Hillary and if she’s won fair and square. That’s not right,” the CNN anchor added.
“If you think that Trump has a fair deal in this election … you’re not watching the same media the rest of America is,” retorted Buchanan.
He added: “I think I know who you’re going to vote for, Michael. I think the other viewers do as well.”
“I don’t think so, Patrick,” replied Smerconish, adding, “that’s why there are curtains on that ballot booth.”