The most notable disappointment in last night’s presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump wasn’t the candidates themselves but arnewsjournal.com, the network that hosted the event. Moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis came under fire for repeatedly fact-checking Trump in real time—at times incorrectly—while letting Harris deliver a series of unchallenged statements that were criticized as misleading.
Right-wing commentators took to social media, calling the debate one of the most biased in history, lambasting the moderators for their uneven approach. Critics were quick to point out moments when Harris should have been fact-checked but wasn’t.
Here are some of the key statements from Harris that went unchallenged:
- Project 2025 and Abortion: Harris framed Trump’s support for Project 2025 as an endorsement of a nationwide abortion ban, even though it’s not a formal plan from Trump.
- Charlottesville Comment: Harris once again referenced Trump’s widely criticized comment about “very fine people on both sides” during the 2017 Charlottesville rally, despite it being debunked as a mischaracterization of Trump’s full remarks.
- Unemployment Claim: Harris blamed Trump for overseeing the worst unemployment since the Great Depression, while omitting the fact that the pandemic drove much of the economic downturn.
- IVF Opposition: Harris claimed Trump opposed in vitro fertilization (IVF), an assertion that has not been substantiated.
- Gun Confiscation: Harris denied ever calling for gun confiscation, even though there are recordings of her suggesting just that.
- Tax Cuts: She claimed Trump’s tax cuts only benefited the wealthy, despite evidence that they provided some relief across income levels.
- Manufacturing Jobs: Harris stated that she and Biden created 800,000 manufacturing jobs, a number that has been challenged for accuracy.
While Harris faced little pushback, Trump was repeatedly fact-checked, sparking outrage from conservative viewers who saw it as favoritism by ABC. Critics argue that Harris has been elusive on key policies throughout her campaign, and the debate was a missed opportunity to clarify her positions. Yet, the moderators failed to press her on these important issues, leaving voters in the dark.
The moderators’ reluctance to challenge Harris, combined with Trump taking the bait in several instances, left many viewers feeling that the debate was more about partisanship than a fair discussion of policy.
