The first and likely only presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump was marred by the biased and incompetent moderation of ABC News. Moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis allowed Harris to spout serial lies and distortions while fact-checking Trump in real time, often incorrectly.
The first and likely only presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump was a disaster for ABC News, the network that hosted the event. Moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis embarrassed themselves and their network by failing to moderate effectively and allowing Harris to spread misinformation without challenge.
Social media exploded with criticism of the moderators, with commentators on the right calling it the worst and most one-sided debate in history.
ABC News' Disastrous Presidential Debate: Failure to Moderate and Fact-Check
Harris made numerous false or misleading statements during the debate, including:
1. Claiming that Project 2025 was Trump's manifesto and that he would pass a nationwide abortion ban
ABC News' Disastrous Presidential Debate: Failure to Moderate and Fact-Check
2. Reviving Trump's Charlottesville comment, which has been debunked
3. Asserting that Trump had overseen the worst unemployment since the Great Depression, which was caused by the pandemic
ABC News' Disastrous Presidential Debate: Failure to Moderate and Fact-Check
4. Denying that Donald Trump has opposed IVF
5. Denying that Kamala Harris ever called for gun confiscation
ABC News' Disastrous Presidential Debate: Failure to Moderate and Fact-Check
6. Claiming that Trump's tax cuts only helped rich people
7. Stating that she and Biden have "created" 800,000 manufacturing jobs, which is false
ABC News' Disastrous Presidential Debate: Failure to Moderate and Fact-Check
Despite the numerous and blatant falsehoods uttered by Harris, the moderators failed to challenge her on any of them. This was likely due to the liberal bias of the media, which is in full panic mode now that Harris' honeymoon has faded and Trump has pulled even or moved ahead in some polls.
Harris's pathetic attempt to avoid committing to any policies during the campaign trail has failed, leaving American voters in the dark about her views. The debate was an opportunity for her to clarify her positions, but she deflected most questions and offered platitudes instead.
ABC News' Disastrous Presidential Debate: Failure to Moderate and Fact-Check
The moderators should have pressed Harris on her record and policies, but they declined to do so. Instead, they allowed her to prattle on with Biden-like platitudes. Once again, a partisan candidate is promising to bring the country together, a promise that has been repeatedly broken.
Trump, on the other hand, failed to effectively prosecute his case. While Harris appeared over-prepared and practiced, Trump was clearly under-prepared. He meandered and forgot to smile, missing opportunities to present his record and challenge Harris's claims.
Instead of highlighting his successes in building the economy, leaving the world at peace, and demoting Iran's ability to wage proxy wars, Trump reverted to form, claiming once again that he actually won the 2020 election. This was a mistake that breathed new life into Biden and Harris's warnings about Trump being a threat to democracy.
Trump also rose to the bait too often, allowing Harris to distract him with personal attacks. He should have focused on the issues and presented a clear and concise case for his return to office.
In conclusion, the ABC News presidential debate was a disaster for the network and for American voters. The moderators failed to moderate effectively and allowed Harris to spread misinformation without challenge. Trump's under-performance also contributed to the debate's failure. The American people deserve better than this biased and unproductive spectacle.
