Ratings for ABC's “World News Tonight” have fallen by more than 10% since the Sept. 10 debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, which was moderated by ABC News hosts David Muir and Lindsey Davis.
Muir's 6:30 pm EDT news show on the Disney-owned network averaged 7.6 million viewers before the September 10 debate, but only 6.7 million in the three days following the debate. According to Muir and Davis, who host the weekend show, were criticized for engaging in so-called “fact checks” about Trump more frequently during the event than Harris, despite Harris making false statements about Trump's stance on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and artificial insemination. Other issues. (RELATED: 'Measure it with your fingers': Ex-Clinton pollster says ABC host 'puts future debates at risk')
Davis said the decision to become more aggressive in fact-checking Trump was prompted by the June 27 debate hosted by CNN between the former president and President Joe Biden.
ABC's David Muir said the controversy over his historically terrible hosting of the presidential debates was “just noise”.
Well, after the debate his ratings dropped by 12%. Now fewer people are tuning into his nighttime noises. Thank goodness! pic.twitter.com/XBH6KPLxni
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) September 17, 2024
“People are just shocked at the mere publication of the statement. [be] “At the time, neither candidate Biden nor the moderators raised any objections,” Davis said at a press conference on September 11. Interview From the Los Angeles Times.
Trump later said after the debate that he had “lost a little bit of respect” for Muir.
“It was very one-sided,” he told Fox News. “It was 1 against 3.”
Conservatives agreed with the former president, saying the debate was rigged against Trump, who had to contend not only with Harris but also with Muir and Davis. At one point during the debate, Davis asked Harris about her changing positions on policy issues, but didn't go after the vice president when Harris spoke about “values” instead of answering the question.
ABC News reporter Martha Raddatz pointed out on Sunday that Harris misstated the fact that American troops were at risk during the debate, but Muir and Davis made no such statement during the debate, Fox News reported. Reported.
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