ABC faced widespread criticism from both sides of the political spectrum for apparent bias during Tuesday’s presidential debate, particularly favoring Kamala Harris. Moderator Linsey Davis, in an interview with the LA Times, revealed her premeditated decision to fact-check Republican nominee Donald Trump, largely due to concerns stemming from a prior debate between Trump and President Joe Biden in June.
Davis explained that after the June debate, people felt that false claims had gone unchallenged by Biden or the moderators. To avoid a repeat, Davis and co-moderator David Muir prepared in advance to address any misleading statements Trump might make, particularly regarding reproductive technology, IVF, and abortion.
During the debate, after Trump made claims about abortion laws, Davis interrupted to counter his statements. Trump had asserted that in some states, abortion is legal throughout all nine months of pregnancy, and he mentioned cases where botched abortions resulted in live births, with the babies then left to die.
These claims echoed controversies surrounding Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s administration, where a law requiring attempts to save babies born alive after failed abortions was repealed.
In contrast, Harris was not fact-checked despite making several inaccurate statements about Trump’s stance on abortion and IVF, as well as repeating debunked claims. These same claims had previously been echoed by President Joe Biden.
According to a new poll, 41% of independents felt that the moderators were unfair to Trump, with many favoring him on economic issues. The co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates also noted that the moderators “bent backwards” to accommodate Harris.