Fiona Bruce, host of BBC’s Question Time, found herself at the center of a heated exchange during the latest episode in Glasgow, after a member of the audience called out the first question of the night regarding US President Donald Trump.
The question, “When did Donald Trump become the Master of the Universe?” caught many viewers off guard, and as Fiona went around the room to gather responses, she asked a man at the back: “Do you think there is some merit in what Donald Trump is doing?”
The man, however, quickly rejected the premise of the question, responding: “I think that’s the wrong question,” which prompted a surprised and amused reaction from Fiona. “I stand corrected, sir, what should it be?” she replied, as the audience laughed, according to the Express.
The man proceeded to explain his stance: “Let me qualify that, because the merit is in his strategies and what his objectives are, so there is merit in what he is doing, whether you agree with that or not. What dismays me is that this is not a surprise. Donald Trump’s actions have all been mapped out for some time, and what surprises me is that politicians don’t seem to have a strategy that manages the balance of working with him as he is the President of America, but also challenging some of his actions, because without those challenges, it normalizes what he is doing.”
While this exchange added an unexpected twist to the debate, it also sparked significant backlash on social media. Many fans accused the BBC of displaying an anti-Trump bias. One viewer posted: “This was allowed as the first audience question on #BBCQT tonight. ‘When was Donald Trump elected Master of the Universe?’ BBC doesn’t even disguise its anti-Trump bias, in allowing such an asinine, patently untrue & childish question on its news debate program.”
Another viewer chimed in: “Just another reason why I won’t watch Question Time,” while a third added: “The amount of time spent on it was a disgrace.”
Some viewers even took aim at Bruce herself, with one writing: “Man in the audience to Fiona Bruce: ‘I think that’s the wrong question.’ That should be said every time Bruce asks a question.”
There were also complaints about Fiona Bruce’s style of moderating the debate. A viewer vented: “Would someone tell Fiona Bruce that she is the chair of a debate, not the f**king star? We don’t want to hear her talking over panelists to satisfy her bloated sense of self-importance.”
The episode raised questions about the role of the Question Time host, with many viewers feeling that the focus should remain on the panel and the audience’s opinions, rather than on the presenter. As the BBC faces ongoing scrutiny over its political coverage, the controversial moment on Question Time has sparked a renewed debate on media bias and the conduct of political debates.
