ABC Moderators Accused of Bias After Fact-Checking Trump Five Times Whilst Giving Harris Free Pass

In a heated 90-minute ABC Presidential Debate, co-moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis faced criticism for what many viewed as biased fact-checking. Former President Donald Trump was fact-checked five times throughout the evening, while Vice President Kamala Harris went unchecked, despite lying multiple times in the debate. The imbalance did not go unnoticed, sparking widespread reactions from pundits and commentators who accused the moderators of giving Harris a free pass.

Some observers claimed that Trump was not only fact-checked more frequently but also faced more challenging questions compared to Harris, who, according to critics, was let off the hook on several key issues.

3 vs. 1, claim Harris critics 

Pundits quickly took to social media to voice their concerns. Vivek Ramaswamy, a political figure and businessman sympathetic to Trump, commented on X (formerly Twitter), "This is an interesting debate format: 3-on-1." He echoed the sentiment of many who felt that the debate was unbalanced. Bill Ackman, a billionaire investor and a longtime donor to Democrats, expressed similar frustration, writing, "Why do the moderators only fact check @realDonaldTrump and not @KamalaHarris?"

Former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who was a Democrat, also weighed in, stating, "This debate is three vs one — the ABC moderators clearly shilling for Kamala Harris." Gabbard’s remark reflected a common criticism of the debate format, which many saw as favoring Harris.

“Most biased, unfair debate,” says journalist Megyn Kelly 

Perhaps the most vocal criticism came from journalist Megyn Kelly, who is no stranger to controversy over tough questions during debates. Kelly herself had faced backlash in 2016 for her hard-hitting questions to Trump during the Republican primaries. She did not hold back in her criticism of Tuesday’s debate, tweeting, "These moderators are a disgraceful failure and this is one of the most biased, unfair debates I have ever seen. Shame on you @ABC."

Kelly added in another tweet, "The absolute gall of ABC to keep 'fact checking' ONLY Trump while letting her lie in every answer is infuriating."

Critics of the Disney-owned network argue that the uneven fact-checking overshadowed what could have been a more balanced and informative debate. Instead, they claim, the moderators' approach led to perceptions of favoritism and bias, further polarizing an already divided audience.

Here is what you need to know

The ABC debate comes after the CNN debate between Trump and Biden, during which the moderators received praise from many Trump supporters, for being fair and balanced. Both CNN and ABC are sympathetic to the Democratic party.  After the CNN debate, many hoped that ABC would also host a balanced debate. However, the ABC debate, highlighted that ubiquitous nature of bias in American media, against Republican candidates. 

The ABC Presidential Debate will be remembered for the lopsided fact-checking that sparked a firestorm of criticism and raised questions about the role of journalists in the democratic process.