ABC News has categorically denied accusations of favouritism or manipulation during the presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and ex-President Donald Trump. The charges, gaining momentum among Trump’s followers, assert that the network gave an unfair advantage to Harris in the event on September 10 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
A dispute started when an anonymous person, claiming to be a whistleblower, disseminated an affidavit on social media, alleging that ABC News participated in unethical conduct favoring Harris’s campaign. As per these unverified allegations, the network is accused of providing sample questions to Harris’s team, vowing to fact-check only Trump, and consenting to bypass certain topics at the request of the campaign.
ABC News quickly refuted these claims, declaring, “We followed the debate rules that both campaigns agreed on and which clearly state: No topics or questions will be shared in advance with campaigns or candidates.”
The network stressed its dedication to impartiality and adherence to the pre-arranged guidelines for the debate, which was held at the National Constitution Center without a live audience.
Trump, in his comments the morning after the debate, expressed discontent with the approach of the moderators. The ex-president characterized the debate as one of his strongest performances. However, he was annoyed with the moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, for their frequent “corrections” during his interaction with Harris. Trump commented that the debate felt like he was up against three rivals: Vice President Harris and the two ABC News moderators.
Republican Congressman Dan Meuser has capitalized on the controversy, expressing his intention to summon ABC News officials to testify before the House regarding the allegations. This development has further fueled the debate about the event’s fairness and the role of media outlets in political discourse.
The Harris campaign has refrained from addressing the allegations, not commenting on the supposed improprieties. However, they have expressed satisfaction with the Vice President’s performance, with Harris reminding supporters of the day’s success.
Interestingly, the Harris team proposed a second debate in October, a proposition that Trump initially seemed reluctant to accept. During an interview, he indicated a lower likelihood of participating, citing the success of the first debate.
The debate adhered to a rigorous set of rules mutually agreed upon by both campaigns. These included 90 minutes of debate time with two commercial breaks, no audience presence, and specific guidelines for question formats and speaking turns.
A coin toss decided podium positioning and the order of closing statements, with Trump winning the toss and choosing to deliver the final closing statement. The debate format forbade candidates from directly questioning each other, with only the moderators allowed to ask questions.
Some spectators have observed that while the moderators did challenge several of Trump’s false or misleading statements during the debate, they did not fact-check all questionable claims made by either candidate in real-time. According to the moderators, this approach was an effort to avoid the problems faced during the June CNN debate between Trump and President Joe Biden, where false statements went unchallenged and became a point of criticism.
As the controversy continues to unravel, it has reignited debates about media bias, the role of fact-checking in live debates, and the difficulty of ensuring fairness in high-stakes political events. The incident highlights the intense scrutiny news organizations face in a time of growing political polarization and prevalent misinformation.