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David Muir, the anchor of ABC’s World News Tonight, might have lost some viewers after the Disney-owned network infuriated conservatives during the presidential debate the previous week.
Vice President Kamala Harris received no corrections from Muir or co-moderator Linsey Davis despite their five fact-checks of former President Donald Trump. This prompted a lot of conservatives to claim that the discussion was skewed. Furthermore, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America called for an apology when Davis verified a Trump claim on abortion that the group deemed to be 100% inaccurate.
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Following the debate, the three episodes of ABC’s World News Tonight, hosted by David Muir, averaged 6.7 million viewers on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. This was a decrease from the 2024 average of 7.6 million viewers who watched the show prior to the debate.
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When comparing the three programs that followed ABC’s debate to their year-to-date ratings, World News Tonight had a 12% loss in viewers, which is more noticeable than the little drops that was actually seen by CBS and NBC. However, Fox News said that Muir’s newscast remained the top-ranked primetime television newscast.
Trump has slammed ABC for being one-sided, however, it’s unclear if his fans have stopped watching the newscast after the debate. Trump said in a Fox News interview that he thought Vice President Kamala Harris’s statements on several issues should have been verified.
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The statement last week reflected disappointment, as it was suggested that all individuals involved should have been questioned by David Muir, for whom much respect has been lost by many, including the speaker. The event was described as notably one-sided, with the impression that it was one against three.
Following the release of new crime statistics by the Justice Department, a pointed statement was issued by Trump’s campaign on Thursday directed at Muir. During the debate, it was asserted by Trump that crime rates, particularly those linked to illegal immigrants, have increased under the Biden-Harris administration, while in a reply, Muir said that FBI records indicate that violent crime nationwide is generally on the down.
The National Crime Victimization Survey, released by the Justice Department on Thursday, contained data that the Trump campaign highlighted. According to Just the News, the survey showed a 37% increase in violent crime between 2020 and 2023, with increases of 42% in rape, 63% in robberies, and 61% in stranger violence.
It was stated by Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt that, if Kamala Harris is given another four years along with the opportunity to implement policies perceived as weak on crime, including defunding the police and eliminating cash bail, America will continue to descend into a crime-ridden state, particularly for illegal immigrants, Venezuelan gangsters, and drug dealers.
Further noted was the assertion that only President Trump would be capable of restoring law and order, protecting the police, securing the border, deporting illegal immigrants, and prosecuting criminals to the fullest extent of the law, urging those concerned with safety to vote for Trump.
After the debate, Megyn Kelly, a former Fox News star, blasted the moderators on her highly regarded SiriusXM program for their obvious anti-Trump bias.
Kelly expressed disgust and shame towards the moderators at ABC News, alleging that they acted by the wishes of their superiors. It was mentioned that the head of ABC News, a close personal friend of Kamala Harris, arranged her meeting with her husband. The moderators were accused of acting as surrogates for Dana Walden, resulting in a debate stage perceived as three against one.
The situation was described as unfairly skewed, with the moderators appearing to fully support one side. Despite Trump’s efforts, the scenario was likened to a situation where three fighters were pummeling a single opponent, causing Trump to appear defensive and frustrated at times. The reflection was made that Trump performed as best as possible under the circumstances, with Kelly sharing a similar sentiment of frustration.
Further noted was the error in trusting ABC News with the debate, with a call for Republicans to learn from this experience. It was suggested that Republicans should avoid engaging with moderators they do not fully trust in the future, as it was believed that the moderators attempted to undermine Donald Trump during the debate.
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