Staff Reports
Former President Donald Trump has unleashed a flurry of critiques aimed squarely at ABC News, labeling their recent debate coverage as a “rigged deal.” In a telephonic appearance on “Fox & Friends,” he asserted that the debate format favored Vice President Kamala Harris by a ratio of three to one. According to Trump, this lopsided approach was entirely expected given ABC’s reputation, branding the network as the most deceitful in the industry.
It seems Trump was particularly peeved that the moderators and the network chose to focus their fact-checking efforts exclusively on him, while vice presidential hopeful Harris received a free pass. Trump pointed to this discrepancy as indicative of a broader trend of dishonesty among news organizations, suggesting that the American public is rightly outraged by this kind of media behavior. He even entertained the idea that ABC should lose its broadcasting license for such dubious journalistic practices.
Trump calls ABC debate ‘rigged’https://t.co/6Xg0wqyFjt pic.twitter.com/ZU6pIDF9nO
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) September 12, 2024
Trump’s irritation didn’t end with merely criticizing ABC. He expressed disbelief that the moderators remained silent when Harris lobbed accusations about his involvement in Project 2025 and his supposed lack of support for in-vitro fertilization protections. He felt these moments were missed opportunities for critical questioning, particularly when Harris mentioned an alleged “bloodbath” should he lose the November election—a comment Trump insists was mischaracterized and related to economic fallout.
In what appears to be a classic example of Trumpian bravado, he claimed the debate performance itself was his “best.” While some polls might hint at a less favorable outcome, he suggested that he dominated the discussion and that the results were altogether favorable for him. Meanwhile, a CNN flash poll would later rain on this parade, revealing that 63% of viewers thought Harris outperformed him. But then again, it’s CNN—enough said.
After the debate wrapped up, Harris’s campaign was quick to call for a rematch, framing the decision of voters as a binary choice—forward with Harris or backward with Trump. Their campaign message was clear: Harris is ready for round two, and they firmly challenged Trump to prove his mettle again. While Trump didn’t outright deny the possibility of another debate, he mused about his sizeable win and seemed to lean towards letting things unfold naturally until November. With the election looming, the stage is set for the saga to continue, complete with the theatrics, jabs, and head-spinning moments that have characterized this political season.
