Following the heated debate on September 10 between Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, there has been a surge of tensions regarding the performance of ABC News moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis. Although numerous media organizations declared Harris the victor, accusations of bias on the part of the moderators have ignited controversy, especially from a prominent member of the Commission on Presidential Debates.
Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr., who serves as the co-founder and co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates, expressed his disapproval of the ABC moderators, citing what he perceived as a violation of established protocol. His criticisms were primarily focused on the responsibilities of moderators during a debate and the perceived bias exhibited in favor of Harris throughout the proceedings.
Fahrenkopf expressed his astonishment regarding the moderators’ management of the situation last night. He stated, “We consistently instruct our moderators — having conducted 33 debates since 1988 — that their role is to act as facilitators. They are not meant to engage personally.”
During the discussion, Muir and Davis often interrupted to verify the accuracy of Trump’s claims, thereby facilitating a more straightforward opportunity for Harris to respond. Fahrenkopf noted that this behavior constituted a significant breach of the moderators’ intended responsibilities. He elaborated, stating, “This differs from a situation where a guest on your program provides an answer that contradicts a previous statement made a month earlier; in that case, you would provide a correction. However, moderators are not meant to engage in such corrections.”
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Fahrenkopf stressed that the debate should focus on the candidates, not on interactions with the moderators. “A debate is between the candidates, not a debate between the candidate and the moderators. And these moderators, as far as I was concerned, it was the worst performance that I’ve seen.”
He didn’t mince words when discussing the imbalance in treatment between Trump and Harris. “I don’t know what their thoughts were, but they clearly were oversized, I think, on the way they treated the former president and the way they treated the present vice president. I think they bent backwards to help her.”
Trump characterized the debate hosted by ABC as a “rigged deal” and asserted that he performed “great” despite facing odds of “3-to-1.” On Thursday, he declared that there would be no further debates. Utilizing his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump proclaimed his victory in the debate and outlined his future intentions. He stated, “When a prizefighter loses a fight, the first words out of his mouth are, ‘I WANT A REMATCH.’ Polls clearly indicate that I emerged victorious in the debate against Comrade Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ Radical Left Candidate.”
- The former president proceeded to accuse Harris of evading debates in the past, specifically highlighting her absence from a prior event hosted by Fox News. He utilized the post to assert his refusal to participate in any forthcoming debates with her. “THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!” Trump declared emphatically in capital letters.
Initially, Harris’ team sought an additional debate following the vice president’s confrontation with Trump during the ABC presidential debate. Trump’s declaration was anticipated by many, considering his longstanding criticism of the debate process, moderators, and various media outlets. Throughout his political journey, Trump has consistently voiced his discontent with the structure and fairness of debates, frequently alleging media bias.