Former President Donald Trump called for the dismissal of ABC News' entire staff following Tuesday night's presidential debate, where he faced off against Vice President Kamala Harris.
According to The Daily Beast, the demand came via a post on Trump's social media platform, Truth Social, despite polls indicating that viewers largely perceived Harris as the debate's victor.
In his social media statement, Trump asserted that he had delivered a "GREAT DEBATE" performance, contradicting the findings of several post-debate polls. The former president also accused the debate moderators, Linsey Davis and David Muir, of partisanship, claiming he was effectively debating three opponents instead of one.
The gap between Trump's self-assessment and public opinion is evident in the results of multiple post-debate surveys. A CNN/SSRS poll of 605 registered voters revealed that 63% believed Harris won the debate, compared to 37% for Trump. Similarly, a YouGov poll of 2,166 registered voters showed 54% favoring Harris's performance, with 31% supporting Trump.
Perhaps most notably, a Republican-sponsored poll conducted by SoCal Strategies/On Point Politics/Red Eagle Politics found that 53% of the 572 likely voters surveyed thought Harris outperformed Trump, who received 34% support. These figures present a clear contrast to Trump's assertion of a successful debate showing.
The discrepancy between these poll results and Trump's claims raises questions about the former president's perception of his performance and the broader public's assessment of the debate.
While Trump criticized the debate moderators, many media critics offered positive assessments of their work. Linsey Davis and David Muir's approach to moderating, particularly their handling of fact-checking, garnered praise from several quarters.
Slate's Justin Peters described it as "the best-moderated presidential debate of the Trump era," highlighting the moderators' sharp questions and calm approach. TIME TV critic Judy Berman noted that their fact-checking efforts were "sporadic but effective" in maintaining the debate's honesty.
However, not all reviews were positive. Fox News Media Buzz host Howard Kurtz offered a dissenting opinion, stating:
ABC gets a D-, and that's being generous. In fact the network's moderators were so blatantly biased against Donald Trump that it vindicated his pregame criticism of ABC as dishonest.
This range of opinions underscores the challenges inherent in moderating high-stakes political debates and the differing perspectives on what constitutes fair and effective moderation.
The debate's aftermath extended beyond political discourse, impacting the financial markets as well. Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, experienced a significant downturn following the debate. The stock price fell by 10% by the close of trading on Wednesday, reaching its lowest point since the company went public in March.
This market reaction suggests that investors may have viewed Trump's debate performance negatively, potentially influencing their confidence in his media ventures. The connection between political performance and business interests highlights the complex interplay between Trump's various roles as a former president, current candidate, and business figure.
Donald Trump's call for ABC News to fire its staff following the presidential debate has sparked controversy. Post-debate polls consistently showed Vice President Kamala Harris as the perceived winner, contradicting Trump's claims of a strong performance. Media critics generally praised the moderators' approach, particularly their fact-checking efforts. The debate's aftermath also saw a decline in Trump Media & Technology Group's stock price, highlighting the event's broader implications.
