Is Susan Page anti-Trump? A look at the moderator's life and career ahead of vice presidential debate
USA Today’s longtime Washington bureau chief Susan Page came under fire for hosting a “Girls Night” at her home in November 2018 in honor of the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Seema Verma, who has been serving under the Trump Administration. Page has been picked by the Commission on Presidential Debates to serve as the moderator during the debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris on October 7.
However, the fact that she hosted an event at her residence for one of the members of the Trump administration has many questioning her ability to moderate the debate by being unbiased. The Washington Post journalist Jeremy Barr states in an article that “her leading role in hosting the event at her home-raised eyebrows on social media from observers who suggested that it conflicted with her ability to cover the administration as an impartial journalist.”
“Reporters are supposed to maintain an arm’s-length relationship with their sources, and hosting parties for them arguably compromises this role,” he further added. However, USA Today defended Page’s event by saying they are “routinely hosted” by a female journalist and to “honor significant accomplishments of both Democratic and Republican women.” The publication argued that Page wasn’t paid by the federal government to host an event for the Republicans.
People seem skeptical about Page serving as the moderator during the vice presidential debate taking into consideration her proximity to sources close to the government. Reflecting on the same one Twitter user wrote, “Could someone tell me which of 4 debate moderators is a conservative? Wallace-registered Democrat; Susan Page-anti @realDonaldTrump ; Steve Scully- worked for Dems; Kristen Welker-MSNBC. Need I say more? #MAGA2020.” Another added, “...and you think Steve Scully isn't because he posted an article four years ago? If he is made to go, surely Susan Page should be barred from moderating the VP debate since she's been knocking boots with Trump officials recently, where does it end.”
Could someone tell me which of 4 debate moderators is a conservative? Wallace-registered Democrat; Susan Page-anti @realDonaldTrump ; Steve Scully- worked for Dems; Kristen Welker-MSNBC. Need I say more? #MAGA2020
— Victoria Toensing (@VicToensing) October 1, 2020
...and you think Steve Scully isn't because he posted an article four years ago? If he is made to go, surely Susan Page should be barred from moderating the VP debate since she's been knocking boots with Trump officials recently, where does it end.
— Eliza Ziegler Zoltan (@ElizaZoltan) October 1, 2020
A look at Page's life and career
Page developed a passion for Journalism at an early age. She served as the editor-in-chief of her high school yearbook and also served as a reporter for the school newspaper 'The Stampede'. In her lifetime, she has covered six White House administrations and 10 presidential elections. She has also interviewed nine presidents and founded, hosted the award-winning video series 'Capital Download' for USA Today. She appears as an analyst on cable news networks and has also guest-hosted 'The Diane Rehm Show' on Nationa Public Radio. Besides serving as the chairman of the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards and being on the jury for the Pultizer Prizes, she was also the president of the White House Correspondents Association in 2000. She published her first book, a biography of former First Last Barbara Bush titled 'The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty' in 2019. She is also working on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's biography, titled 'Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Arc of Power'. She is the recipient of numerous awards such as Merriman Smith Memorial Award, the Aldo Beckman Memorial Award, Sigma Delta Chi Distinguished Service Award, and Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency, which she won twice.