Debate host David Muir is accused of ‘handling’ the contest for Kamala Harris while unfairly ‘attacking’ Donald Trump
DONALD Trump said his first debate against Kamala Harris was a three-on-one attack after viewers slammed the moderators for criticizing the former president on the air.
ABC’s David Muir moderated the debate with Linsey Davis, but viewers argued on social media that the duo was ganging up on the former president.
After the debate, Trump was quick to hop on Truth Social to share his thoughts on his performance.
“I thought that was my best Debate, EVER, especially since it was THREE ON ONE!”
David Bossie, a Trump ally, echoed Trump’s thoughts, saying he faced more aggressive fact-checking than Harris.
“It was a three-on-one debate, let’s be honest,” he told The Wall Street Journal.
New York Representative Elise Stefanik said the former president delivered a “powerful America First message” during the debate.
“The ABC moderators were not journalists, they were pro-Kamala activists who baselessly attacked President Trump leading to a 3 on 1 debate, while allowing Kamala to lie repeatedly.
“President Trump won overwhelmingly and will win again on Election Day.”
Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy appeared in the spin room, where he called the debate an “unprecedented” event in American history.
“I think David Muir as a moderator was particularly disgraceful,” said Ramaswamy.
Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump also described the debate as “three on one.”
“It was sort of what we expected,” she said.
“Kamala Harris got up there, she lied. She brought up Project 2025 not just once but multiple times.
“Knowing full well that’s something Donald Trump has disavowed.”
Former Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard described the debate as “three vs one.”
Debate night highlights…
- Donald Trump and Kamala Harris engaged in a fiery debate where, at times, the former president seemed enraged and frustrated.
- Vice President Harris tried to get under Trump’s skin by bringing up his ties to Project 2025, his criminal conviction in New York, his rally crowd sizes, and the various indictments he’s facing.
- Trump went off script when he repeated wild conspiracies about immigrants eating dogs and cats in Springfield, Ohio.
- “They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” Trump said as Harris laughed and shook her head.
- In one instance, Trump seemingly threw his running mate, JD Vance, under the bus and blamed him for miscommunication about his stance on a national abortion ban.
- Despite his subpar moments, Trump dubbed his performance “his best debate ever.”
- A Harris spokesperson called for a second debate in October.
“The ABC moderators clearly shilling for Kamala Harris,” she wrote.
Another person wrote: “Didn’t realize @DavidMuir was actually the Democratic nominee.”
Journalist Glenn Greenwald said that Harris could “relax” while onstage because the moderators were “handling the debate for her.”
“David Muir is criticizing and attacking Trump more than Kamala is,” wrote Greenwald.
One person shared a humorous gif that appeared to show Muir carrying Harris on a battlefield against Trump.
“David Muir carrying Kamala Harris through the debate,” the post read.
Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, described the debate as a “tag team match” against Trump.
UNFAIR FACT-CHECKING
Viewers said Muir and Davis were quick to fact-check Trump on his statements but didn’t give the same energy when Harris made incorrect statements on Trump’s views regarding IVF.
Harris said that Trump was against in vitro fertilization, however, the former president was quick to say that he has spoken out in favor of the procedure when it faced bans at the state level.
“ABC is making a huge mistake trying to fact-check this live,” said former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer.
“They’re only proving how biased they are. Harris fabricated an attack on Trump over IVF. ABC sat there and said nothing.”
DAVID MUIR V DONALD TRUMP
David Muir and Donald Trump’s history dates back to 2016 when the former president was merely a candidate going head-to-head with Hillary Clinton.
Trump has been public about his feelings toward ABC, however, he has shown favor toward Muir.
During Labor Day in 2016, Trump an interview with ABC, but when Clinton and her running mate Tim Kaine agreed to speak with Muir, the former president changed his mind.
“If it’s David Muir, I wanna do it,” Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway recalled the 78-year-old saying to The Daily Beast.
Ultimately, Muir interviewed Trump and Mike Pence on a private plane at the Canfield County Fairgrounds.
“David Muir seems like central casting to Donald Trump,” Conway said.
She also mentioned hearing Trump making a remark about Muir, calling him “handsome.”
Additionally, multiple ABC News staffers have told the outlet that Trump likes Muir due to his dominance in ratings.
“Trump likes people who are number one in the ratings, and David’s number one,” said an ABC News reporter.
Muir also was able to land the first televised interview with the former president after he won the election.
In 2020, the 50-year-old moderator secured the first TV interview with Trump during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement on the anchor, an ABC News spokesperson called him “prolific.”
“David Muir is one of the most prolific, trusted and highly respected journalists in America—he is tough, but fair which is why ABC World News Tonight has been the most watched newscast for nearly a decade,” they said.
“His work speaks for itself.”
Another viewer called out the network for not fact-checking Harris when she spoke of Trump’s supposed support for Project 2025 – which he has routinely denied being involved with.
“The moderators didn’t fact-check Kamala Harris on Project 2025. The moderators didn’t fact-check Kamala Harris on IVF,” wrote author Abigail Shrier.
“They just fact-checked Trump for the fourth time.”
Meanwhile, Trump had a back-and-forth with Muir after the former president repeated bizarre conspiracy theories about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, after being asked about border security.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in,” Trump said when asked about immigration policies during the Biden administration.
“They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”
Harris laughed and shook her head as Trump continued his rant.
Muir, quickly fact-checked Trump, saying the city manager in Springfield determined there were “no credible reports” of migrants harming pets in the city.
When Harris’ mic turned back on, she said, “Talk about extreme.”
TRUMP IN THE SPIN ROOM
Trump unexpectedly entered the debate spin room, where his running mate JD Vance spoke moments before to criticize Harris.
His allies accused the debate moderators of favoring Harris, meanwhile, Trump applauded his performance.
“I thought it was a great night,” he told Sean Hannity.
The Harris campaign has called for a second debate, which Trump was asked about.
“She wants to do another one because she got beaten tonight,” he said.
“We’ll think about it.”
Trump’s spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told the New York Post that he was “absolutely” considering another debate against Harris in October.
While addressing reporters, Trump said that Harris was “bad on foreign policy” and on her border policies.
CLAWS OUT
Immediately following the debate, pop superstar Taylor Swift endorsed Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz.
Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight. If you haven’t already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most,” Swift shared with her over 280 million followers on Instagram.
“As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country.”
What is Project 2025?
Project 2025 has gained widespread attention during the 2024 presidential election race.
The project is a collection of conservative and right-wing policy proposals meant to reshape the United States federal government.
These proposed policies aim to consolidate executive power but rely on the Republican Party candidate winning the 2024 presidential election.
According to Project 2025, it will be built on four pillars: a policy agenda, personnel, training, and a 180-day playbook.
The 922-page project makes several policy proposals including reshaping the powers of the executive branch, according to The Hill.
The project, also known as the 2025 Presidential Transition Project, also calls for the removal of several small government agencies.
Although Trump has backed several of the proposed policies in his 2024 campaign speeches, he has also distanced himself from Project 2025.
In July 2024, Trump insisted he had nothing to do with it.
His campaign said in a statement, “Reports of Project 2025’s demise would be greatly welcomed and should serve as notice to anyone or any group trying to misrepresent their influence with President Trump and his campaign — it will not end well for you.”
The singer also addressed fake AI posts that claimed she had endorsed Trump’s campaign.
“Recently I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site,” said.
“It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation.
“It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.
“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election.”
The U.S. Sun has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.