Former President Donald Trump criticized the media’s reaction to his debate performance, calling for ABC News to fire those responsible for what he labeled “a disgrace.”
“People are just starting to give me credit for having a GREAT DEBATE. The Voters and Voter Polls showed it, but the Fake News Media wasn’t giving the credit that was due. Now they are seeing the results with independent Voters, Evangelicals, and more — and saying, WOW!” Trump wrote.
Following the debate between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday night, many analysts critiqued both the candidates and the debate moderators. ABC News had chosen “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir and ABC News Live “Prime” anchor Linsey Davis to moderate, but they faced backlash for what many perceived as favoritism toward Harris and selectively fact-checking Trump.
“Remember, I wasn’t debating one person, I was debating three. They should fire everybody at ABC Fake News, whose two lightweight ‘anchors’ have brought disgrace onto the company!” Trump posted on his Truth Social on Wednesday evening.
Conservative commentators also pointed out the apparent bias. Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer noted, “ABC is making a huge mistake trying to fact check this live. They’re only proving how biased they are. Harris fabricated an attack on Trump over IVF. ABC sat there and said nothing,” he wrote on X.
In addition to the one-sided fact-checking by Muir and Davis, critics also highlighted a personal connection between Disney senior executive Dana Walden, a key figure at ABC’s parent company, and Harris. According to the New York Times, Walden is “extraordinarily close” to Harris, and the two have known each other for over 20 years, while their husbands have been friends since the 1980s.
Adding to the concerns of Trump supporters was the revelation that both Harris and Davis are members of the same sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, although they attended different schools. Both women have stated they had no prior meeting before the debate.
