While CBS navigates this PR disaster, one thing is clear: the world of political debates is getting harder to moderate, and sometimes even the truth comes with consequences. O’Donnell and Brennan may have aimed to hold politicians accountable, but in the end, it was their own careers that were called into question.

For now, CBS remains in damage control mode, and the fate of future debates hangs in the balance. As one satirical commentator remarked, “First they came for the moderators, and next they’ll come for the audience. Maybe we’ll all just fact-check each other from home.”