David Muir, anchor of ABC’s World News Tonight, is seeing the impact of his moderation in last week’s presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Following the debate, Muir’s news broadcast experienced a notable 12% drop in viewership, falling from 7.6 million to 6.7 million, according to the New York Post.
Critics slammed Muir and his co-moderator, Linsey Davis, for what many saw as a clear bias in favor of Harris during the debate. While Harris was allowed to make unchecked statements, Trump was consistently fact-checked. This imbalance left conservative viewers, in particular, frustrated by what they saw as unfair treatment. Some of the fact-checks, which targeted Trump, were later found to be inaccurate.
Trump himself expressed his discontent, calling the debate “one-sided” and arguing that both candidates should have been held to the same standard. “It was one against three,” Trump remarked, referring to his opponents and the moderators.
Despite the ratings dip, Muir’s program still holds the top spot among network evening news shows, though the sharp decline suggests growing viewer dissatisfaction, particularly among conservatives. The debate performance has left many questioning the fairness of mainstream media’s role in the election process, with calls for more balanced moderation in future debates.
