This is what happens when you show bias as a news anchor.
David Muir, the anchor of ABC’s “World News Tonight,” might be experiencing a decline in viewership following last week’s presidential debate, which stirred controversy among conservative viewers. The debate, co-moderated by Muir and Linsey Davis, has drawn criticism from the right for perceived bias in fact-checking.
During the debate, Muir and Davis fact-checked former President Donald Trump multiple times, while Vice President Kamala Harris was not subject to similar scrutiny. This discrepancy led to accusations of unfair treatment, with Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America specifically challenging a fact-check on abortion made by Davis, labeling it as “100% inaccurate.”
In the days following the debate, “World News Tonight” saw its viewership drop to an average of 6.7 million for Wednesday through Friday, a notable decrease from the 7.6 million average it had previously enjoyed in 2024. This 12% decline contrasts with the more modest drops experienced by “CBS Evening News” and “NBC Nightly News” during the same period. Despite this dip, Muir’s newscast continues to be the leading broadcast evening news program.
Former President Trump has publicly criticized the debate’s moderation, labeling it as “one-sided” and expressing disappointment in Muir. In an interview with Fox News, Trump voiced his dissatisfaction, stating, “Every one of them needed to have been questioned by Muir, who I have lost a lot of respect for. Everyone has lost respect for him.” He further criticized the debate format, suggesting that it was unfairly skewed against him.
Linsey Davis later revealed that her approach to fact-checking was influenced by the fallout from a previous CNN debate that had been problematic for President Biden. “People were concerned that statements were allowed to just hang and not be disputed by the candidate or the moderators,” Davis explained to the Los Angeles Times.
Additionally, ABC News’ Martha Raddatz acknowledged that Harris’s claim about U.S. military personnel was incorrect. Despite this, Muir and Davis did not address the inaccuracy during the debate, where nearly 70 million viewers were watching.