Steve Scully, the C-SPAN political editor originally scheduled to moderate the second presidential debate, has been suspended by the network after admitting he lied about his Twitter account being hacked.
Scully raised eyebrows late last week when he posted a tweet directed at “Never Trump” personality Anthony Scaramucci, regarding President Trump.
“@Scaramucci should I respond to trump,” he wrote, then deleted.
The posting left many wondering why Scully would – days before a presidential debate – seemingly conspire with an individual openly hostile to President Trump.
C-SPAN quickly claimed Scully’s Twitter account was hacked.
“They can’t possibly go with this,” Megyn Kelly replied to the hacking claim. “How stupid do they think we are?”
Oh hey who saw this coming? Literally every conservative?
CSPAN suspends Steve Scully for lying about the Twitter hack. Yet he was supposed to moderate tonight’s @realDonaldTrump debate with Joe Biden. But sure — no bias. He was totally objective. https://t.co/QaR3ZskEVZ pic.twitter.com/Cp40drIP65
— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) October 15, 2020
RELATED: Second Debate Moderator Steve Scully Posts Strange Tweet About Trump, C-SPAN Claims He Was Hacked
Steve Scully Getting Hacked Was a Lie
Scully, it was just announced, has been suspended indefinitely after coming clean about the Twitter hack, or lack thereof.
“I falsely claimed that my Twitter account had been hacked,” he said in a statement.
Scully said that the tweet and the coverup “were both errors in judgment for which I am totally responsible for.”
“I apologize,” he added.
Steve Scully just admitted he was not hacked and he lied. Let’s take a walk down memory lane of all the blue checks who carried water for him… pic.twitter.com/Cig2Pry2Tv
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) October 15, 2020
The apology was not without an attempt to justify his actions.
Scully appeared to blame President Trump.
“For several weeks, I was subjected to relentless criticism on social media and in conservative news outlets regarding my role as moderator for the second presidential debate, including attacks aimed directly at my family,” the C-SPAN editor claimed.
“This culminated on Thursday, October 8th when I heard President Trump go on national television twice and falsely attack me by name,” he said.
“Out of frustration, I sent a brief tweet addressed to Anthony Scaramucci.”
Let’s not forget that the co-chair of the Commission for Presidential Debates, Frank Fahrenkopf covered for Steve Scully… he’s in on it too.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) October 15, 2020
RELATED: Trump Scores NBC Town Hall, Will Face Off Directly Against Biden
President Trump Takes a Jab at Scully
President Trump took to Twitter to celebrate his “good instincts” in calling out a biased debate moderator when he sees one.
“I was right again! Steve Scully just admitted he was lying about his Twitter being hacked. The Debate was Rigged!” he bragged.
“He was suspended from [C-SPAN] indefinitely.”
“The Trump Campaign was not treated fairly by the ‘Commission,'” he continued.
“Did I show good instincts in being the first to know?”
I was right again! Steve Scully just admitted he was lying about his Twitter being hacked. The Debate was Rigged! He was suspended from @cspan indefinitely. The Trump Campaign was not treated fairly by the “Commission”. Did I show good instincts in being the first to know?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 15, 2020
Scully’s impartiality was already a concern before the Scaramucci Tweeting incident.
Scully was actually an intern for one of the debate participants – Democrat nominee Joe Biden.
Gotta love the @VP at the Biden Beach Bash ’16 pic.twitter.com/Z9gdC6Cmi1
— Steve Scully (@SteveScully) June 4, 2016
He also worked for the late Democratic Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, something he addressed in a 2011 interview with the Cable Center.
“I worked for Joe Biden, Senator from Delaware at the time, as an intern, so I had my first chance to really see politics up close in Washington, D.C.,” Scully recalled.
“I worked for Senator Kennedy,” he continued. “I was involved in his ill-fated campaign in 1980.”
The President took another shot at Scully in a follow-up tweet discussing tonight’s dueling town halls between him and Biden.
I will be doing a major Fake @NBCNews Town Hall Forum, live tonight from Miami, at 8:00 P.M. They asked me to do it in place of the Rigged Steve Scully (he is now suspended from @cspan for lying) Debate. I wonder if they’ll treat me as well as Sleepy Joe? They should!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 15, 2020
Tonight’s town halls take place in lieu of the second debate which, aside from the Scully controversy, was originally converted to a virtual debate due to the President’s coronavirus diagnosis.
Trump refused the format and the Commission on Presidential Debates would eventually cancel it outright.
Steve Scully scandal should be the death knell for the corrupt debate commission. https://t.co/E7mTXOg8X9
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) October 15, 2020
Proceeding with the third presidential debate remains highly questionable in light of this current fiasco involving biased moderators and a Commission that allowed this to happen.
