Former Clinton Pollster Says ABC Hosts Put Future Debates ‘In Jeopardy’
Former Clinton pollster Mark Penn criticized ABC News hosts Linsey Davis and David Muir Thursday, accusing them of endangering future presidential debates with biased moderation.
Davis and Muir co-hosted Tuesday night’s presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris and were criticized for making so-called “fact checks” on Trump more often than Harris. Penn said David and Muir “did a real disservice” to those viewing the debate.
‘Finger On The Scale’: Former Clinton Pollster Says ABC Hosts Put Future Debates ‘In Jeopardy’ pic.twitter.com/B6Yd76433s
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 12, 2024
“I’m really concerned about what ABC did. When the refs put their finger on the scale, you’ve gotta throw out the score of the game,” Penn told Fox News host Harris Faulkner. “What would have happened in that debate had they challenged Harris and said ‘you know, that’s not right what you said there about Charlottesville.’ We don’t know how she would have reacted, and then Trump wouldn’t have had to spend all his time on the [defensive]. I think they did a real disservice to the voters of America when they did that and they put in jeopardy the institutions of debate.”
While Harris made multiple misstatements during the debate, including about abortion and Project 2025, according to Check Your Fact, Muir and Davis did not interrupt or “fact check” her during the debate.
Aside from an Aug. 29 interview with CNN host Dana Bash alongside Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, Harris has not granted a sit-down interview or press conference since Biden announced he was ending his reelection bid July 21. She posted an “issues” section on her campaign website, but it appeared to be a cut-and-paste from the reelection site for President Joe Biden.
Harris has reportedly backed away from left-wing positions she held during her campaign for the 2020 Democratic Party nomination for president, primarily through statements by campaign aides to reporters.
