Debate moderator Steve Scully's tweet to Scaramucci raises questions about impartiality

A tweet by C-SPAN'S Steve Scully, the next presidential debate moderator, Thursday evening is sparking speculation on social media about the meaning of the message and more concerns about Scully's objectivity.

Apparently tweeting at the president's former ally-turned-critic Anthony Scaramucci, Scully wrote in the since deleted tweet, "@Scaramucci should I respond to trump." 

Some people, largely reporters, concluded that the message was meant to be sent privately to the president's former White House communications director.

"It appears that our moderator for the next debate thinks he's dm'ing with Scaramucci but accidentally tweeted at him. I'm sure he'll be a fair and unbiased moderator," tweeted the Daily Caller's Greg Price.

 Politico reporter Alex Thompson posted: "Odd thing for the next debate moderator to tweet."

The Hill reporter Joe Concha also questioned the matter, tweeting, "Why is the next presidential debate moderator publicly asking one of Trump's staunchest critics ... if he should respond to the president?"

Rebecca Heinrichs, a senior fellow as the Hudson Institute, responded to Concha's tweet, saying, "We need a different moderator at the v least. This is disqualifying."

Scaramucci opted to respond to Scully's tweet, writing "Ignore. He's having a hard enough time. Some more bad stuff about to go down."

White House deputy communications director Brian Morgenstern told Fox News on Thursday evening that the tweet calls into question the judgement of the Commission on Presidential Debates, which selected Scully for the job.

"Their chosen moderator certainly seems not to be very impartial," Morgenstern said. "The first one. Susan Page, of course, is writing the glowing biography of Speaker Pelosi. And now Mr. Scully, who interned for Joe Biden" appears to be colluding with Scaramucci.

"He is a wild-eyed critic of the president at this point," he continued. 

Scully also interned for late-Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy, further calling into question his ability to behave impartially during a presidential match-up.