A former friend of Melania Trump, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, criticized CNN’s handling of President Joe Biden’s debate performance, attributing his poor showing to bad lighting. Wolkoff expressed her views on X, emphasizing that CNN’s lighting and framing choices contributed to perceptions of fragility versus dominance. She noted that Biden was filmed in profile, appearing pale, while Trump was filmed straight on, looking more composed.
Wolkoff pointed out Biden’s qualities of honor, integrity, resilience, and resolve, contrasting them with her view of Trump. She supported her argument by posting two screenshots of Biden, one from the debate and another from a rally the following day, showing a stark difference in his appearance.
Wolkoff’s comments were in response to actress Ellen Barkin, who accused CNN of bias in their debate coverage. Barkin’s post criticized the mainstream media for not addressing the perceived bias, which she found alarming.
Critiques of Biden’s debate performance from pundits across the political spectrum focused more on his inability to finish thoughts and sentences, with some noting he appeared to freeze at times. In contrast, Trump was seen as answering questions more coherently and fluidly. It’s also worth noting that Biden chose his position on the stage after winning a coin toss.
Wolkoff defended Biden, attributing his debate struggles to his lifelong battle with stuttering rather than cognitive issues. She expressed her preference for voting for Biden, a man with a lifelong speech condition, over Trump, whom she described as disruptive and unpredictable.
https://x.com/SWinstonWolkoff/status/1806896355983372753
https://x.com/SWinstonWolkoff/status/1806834672086704246
