United States: In Tuesday night’s debate, former President Donald Trump found himself under fire, not just from Vice President Kamala Harris but also from the moderators who seemed determined to challenge every statement he made.
The debate, hosted by ABC, quickly revealed its bias. Moderators stepped in to fact-check Trump multiple times while giving Harris a free pass on several of her misleading statements.
Despite the unfair playing field, Trump fought back, exposing Harris’ failures on key issues like immigration and foreign policy and calling out the moderators for their selective fact-checking.
Harris came to the debate well-prepared, hitting Trump with sharp attacks to undermine his reputation and policies. She claimed that military leaders had told her Trump was a “disgrace” and asserted that world leaders were laughing at him.
She even suggested that people had grown tired of Trump’s rallies, leaving early out of “exhaustion and boredom.” Harris, echoing familiar talking points from the 2020 election, reminded viewers that Trump was “fired by 81 million people” in the last election, a fact clearly intended to damage Trump’s pride.
Throughout the debate, Trump was forced to defend himself from Harris and the moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, who appeared more interested in fact-checking Trump than maintaining neutrality.
For example, when Trump brought up the rise in crime due to illegal immigration under Harris’ watch, Muir interrupted to say that FBI data showed violent crime was actually declining.
Trump quickly fired back, pointing out that the FBI’s data excluded cities like Los Angeles, New York City, and Chicago—areas with some of the worst crime rates in the country.
On the topic of foreign policy, Trump criticized Harris for her ineffectiveness in handling international diplomacy, specifically her failure in Europe in the lead-up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Harris attempted to deny the accusation, and Muir seized the opportunity to challenge Trump’s claim, asking Harris directly whether she had ever met Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The moderators, however, remained silent when Harris dodged and deflected many of Trump’s legitimate criticisms, allowing her to avoid scrutiny on several key issues.
The bias was most apparent during the discussion of abortion when Trump brought up comments made by former Virginia Governor Ralph Northam regarding late-term abortion.
Trump mistakenly attributed the remarks to the governor of West Virginia. Still, his larger point about the Democrats’ radical stance on abortion was clear.
Yet, instead of engaging with Trump’s argument, Davis quickly dismissed his comments, saying there was no state where it was legal to kill a baby after birth.
Conservatives watching the debate were left angry, noting that the moderators ignored the fact that six states and Washington DC, currently have no limits on abortion, a key aspect of Trump’s point that went unaddressed.
Harris, meanwhile, delivered a performance that aimed to restore confidence among Democrats, who had been rattled by President Biden’s recent weak showing.
Harris avoided any major gaffes and was able to sidestep damaging questions about her shifting positions on key issues such as healthcare, immigration, and energy policy.
Although Harris has reversed course on many of her 2019 presidential campaign promises—such as eliminating private health insurance and banning fracking—the moderators failed to press her on these inconsistencies.
Ahead of the debate, Republicans had voiced concerns about ABC’s ability to provide fair coverage, pointing to Harris’ close friendship with Disney executive Dana Walden, whose portfolio includes ABC News.
Those concerns appeared well-founded, as the moderators seemed more interested in fact-checking Trump than addressing Harris’ misleading statements.
For example, Harris falsely claimed that police officers died during the January 6 Capitol riot. Yet, Muir and Davis said nothing in response, even as conservatives on social media pointed out the inaccuracy of her statement.
Conservative commentators and Trump allies were quick to call out ABC’s bias during and after the debate. Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton tweeted, “It isn’t ‘fact-checking,’ it is attacking.”
At the same time, former Trump White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany questioned why the moderators did not fact-check Harris’ repeated use of the debunked “both sides” narrative from the Charlottesville incident.
Another former White House press secretary, Ari Fleischer, echoed these sentiments, criticizing ABC for allowing Harris to fabricate attacks on Trump without challenge.
As the dust settled after the debate, it was clear that Trump had faced an uphill battle, with Harris and the moderators teaming up to take him down.
Harris delivered a more polished performance than many expected. However, conservatives were outraged by the blatant media bias on display.
The debate reminded everyone that the mainstream media continues to play favorites, shielding Democrats from criticism while subjecting Republicans to relentless scrutiny.
In the end, Trump’s supporters remained undeterred, viewing the debate as yet another example of the media’s inability to play fair.
What did you think of the debate?
