Rich Lowry

He got it right later when he said the West Virginia governor He meant the former Virginia governor had talked about you can have abortions after birth, right? And he didn't say any state has abortions after birth. He just said the governor had said this, which is a correct statement. And then he's fact-checked by saying, Mr. Trump, there's no state in America that has abortion after nine months.

Actually, there are a few instances in Minnesota. He was correct about that as well. But this is the point. The fact-check was incorrect, right? And this is why... debate moderators shouldn't fact-check. The CNN moderators did not fact-check because what you think the fact is in that moment may be subjective, you may be wrong, and you're tilting the playing field.

Actually, there are a few instances in Minnesota. He was correct about that as well. But this is the point. The fact-check was incorrect, right? And this is why... debate moderators shouldn't fact-check. The CNN moderators did not fact-check because what you think the fact is in that moment may be subjective, you may be wrong, and you're tilting the playing field.

Actually, there are a few instances in Minnesota. He was correct about that as well. But this is the point. The fact-check was incorrect, right? And this is why... debate moderators shouldn't fact-check. The CNN moderators did not fact-check because what you think the fact is in that moment may be subjective, you may be wrong, and you're tilting the playing field.

And certainly to fact-check one candidate and never fact-check the other. She did the Charlottesville lie that both sides are fine people lie, no fact-check. She did the bloodbath lie. He clearly didn't mean that the country is going to be, there are going to be riots in the street if he's not elected. It was an economic statement. No fact check. So the moderators were a disgrace.

And certainly to fact-check one candidate and never fact-check the other. She did the Charlottesville lie that both sides are fine people lie, no fact-check. She did the bloodbath lie. He clearly didn't mean that the country is going to be, there are going to be riots in the street if he's not elected. It was an economic statement. No fact check. So the moderators were a disgrace.

And certainly to fact-check one candidate and never fact-check the other. She did the Charlottesville lie that both sides are fine people lie, no fact-check. She did the bloodbath lie. He clearly didn't mean that the country is going to be, there are going to be riots in the street if he's not elected. It was an economic statement. No fact check. So the moderators were a disgrace.

It's one of the reasons Trump seemed on defensive a lot of the night. One was he took a lot of bait from Kamala Harris that he didn't need to. The other was the horrendous moderation.

It's one of the reasons Trump seemed on defensive a lot of the night. One was he took a lot of bait from Kamala Harris that he didn't need to. The other was the horrendous moderation.

It's one of the reasons Trump seemed on defensive a lot of the night. One was he took a lot of bait from Kamala Harris that he didn't need to. The other was the horrendous moderation.

But Emily, what you point out gets to the insanity of it. If she was going to be strictly accurate in her fact check, she would have said, well, it's not technically an execution because you're not affirmatively killing the child. Instead, after the child's born, you're just giving the child comfort care and not the medical care that might be necessary to save him or her. That's an opinion, right?

But Emily, what you point out gets to the insanity of it. If she was going to be strictly accurate in her fact check, she would have said, well, it's not technically an execution because you're not affirmatively killing the child. Instead, after the child's born, you're just giving the child comfort care and not the medical care that might be necessary to save him or her. That's an opinion, right?

But Emily, what you point out gets to the insanity of it. If she was going to be strictly accurate in her fact check, she would have said, well, it's not technically an execution because you're not affirmatively killing the child. Instead, after the child's born, you're just giving the child comfort care and not the medical care that might be necessary to save him or her. That's an opinion, right?

That's a debate answer. But instead, they do it under the guise of a fact check, which gives it this authority it doesn't deserve that they're using that – by the grace of them sitting there as moderators. It's a total abuse of their role.

That's a debate answer. But instead, they do it under the guise of a fact check, which gives it this authority it doesn't deserve that they're using that – by the grace of them sitting there as moderators. It's a total abuse of their role.

That's a debate answer. But instead, they do it under the guise of a fact check, which gives it this authority it doesn't deserve that they're using that – by the grace of them sitting there as moderators. It's a total abuse of their role.

Totally. I don't know how he possibly could have improved on that performance, substantively, tonally, just everything in terms of the message he was driving home. He brought it back to the economy and the American dream and how we need to revive it. He constantly made the point that Kamala Harris is in power now, and why hasn't she done all these wonderful things that she's promising?

Totally. I don't know how he possibly could have improved on that performance, substantively, tonally, just everything in terms of the message he was driving home. He brought it back to the economy and the American dream and how we need to revive it. He constantly made the point that Kamala Harris is in power now, and why hasn't she done all these wonderful things that she's promising?

Totally. I don't know how he possibly could have improved on that performance, substantively, tonally, just everything in terms of the message he was driving home. He brought it back to the economy and the American dream and how we need to revive it. He constantly made the point that Kamala Harris is in power now, and why hasn't she done all these wonderful things that she's promising?

The only thing that was difficult for him, I think, was the January 6th thing right at the end. That's not his fault. Donald Trump has created that vulnerability, but he deflected really deftly there as well by getting it on to to censorship. So I'm not sure when I've seen a better debate.