ABC moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis are facing backlash following their handling of the highly anticipated debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Critics, primarily from conservative circles, accused the moderators of unfairly targeting Trump with live fact-checks while letting Harris' claims slide. The debate, held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, was marked by sharp exchanges, but many on the right believe the moderators overstepped their role.
Trump supporters were vocal about their frustrations, with many claiming the moderators acted as biased participants rather than neutral facilitators. Trump himself took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to accuse the ABC moderators of staging a "three-on-one" attack. The former president argued that this bias undermined his performance and reinforced longstanding concerns about mainstream media's treatment of conservative figures.
It’s become an important life skill to fact check the fact checkers‼️
If you want the truth in America, then you need to do YOUR OWN RESEARCH!!!
This girl absolutely destroys ABC’s moderators with nothing but facts 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/fAlkEpNr4o
— TONY™ (@TONYxTWO) September 12, 2024
During the 90-minute debate, Muir and Davis fact-checked several of Trump’s statements on controversial topics, including his claims about crime rates and his false assertion that Haitian immigrants were responsible for killing pets in Ohio. While some praised the moderators for keeping the debate factual, Trump allies felt that Harris was not subjected to the same level of scrutiny. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) expressed discontent, arguing that the moderators seemed to favor Harris by selectively correcting Trump’s assertions.
The debate also saw tense moments as Trump repeated allegations of media bias, a cornerstone of his political rhetoric. Trump’s backers echoed these sentiments, noting that the moderators fact-checked Trump multiple times but rarely challenged Harris. Republican strategist Tim Murtaugh labeled the treatment "outrageous," adding that the moderators focused disproportionately on correcting Trump without applying the same standards to Harris.
This clip may be the most egregious example of ABC debate moderators' direct actions/inactions to affect viewers’ perceptions of the information presented at the debate.
There are at least seven instances of this within a two-minute span.
This is not “bias."
It’s much worse.… pic.twitter.com/tYJhZwGwdW
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) September 11, 2024
While Republicans criticized the debate as unfair, some media commentators commended the moderators for handling a difficult and polarized political environment. ABC’s fact-checks of Trump, which primarily focused on debunking his more outlandish claims, were seen by some as necessary to maintain the integrity of the debate. However, the selective nature of the corrections fueled conservative frustration.
Trump surrogates in the post-debate spin room amplified this narrative. David Bossie, a close Trump advisor, accused ABC of effectively aiding Harris by acting as "agents of the Harris campaign." Bossie argued that the debate’s moderation reinforced existing biases in the mainstream media, turning the moderators into participants rather than neutral arbiters.
Despite the controversy, some Republicans acknowledged that Trump struggled to deliver a commanding performance. As the debate played out, even some conservative commentators conceded that Harris had managed to outmaneuver Trump on several issues. The performance gap, however, did little to diminish the fury from Trump supporters, who maintained that the media's interference prevented a fair contest.
As the debate fallout continues, the broader narrative of media bias remains a key talking point for Trump and his base. The allegations of unfair moderation only serve to deepen the divide between conservatives and mainstream media, with Trump doubling down on claims that such biases will be a significant factor in the 2024 election.
