On September 10, a highly controversial presidential debate aired on ABC, sparking significant backlash. Moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis, the debate featured former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, yet many have criticized the event for being heavily skewed in Harris’s favor. In response, the Center for American Rights filed formal complaints with both the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Election Commission (FEC), alleging violations related to media bias and campaign finance regulations. The complaints raise broader questions about the fairness of broadcast media and the role of television networks in shaping public opinion during election campaigns.

According to critics, the debate on September 10 was less a neutral platform for the exchange of ideas and more a 90-minute campaign commercial for Kamala Harris. Throughout the debate, moderators “fact-checked” Trump five times, while Harris faced no such scrutiny. This selective treatment led to accusations that ABC’s moderators were engaging in politically motivated journalism, tilting the debate in favor of the sitting vice president.

Many argue that the questions posed to Harris were far less critical than those directed at Trump. The moderators did not ask her about pressing issues like the potential switch from President Joe Biden to Harris as the Democratic nominee, Biden’s cognitive health, or the effectiveness of the Secret Service following an assassination attempt on Trump. Instead, Trump faced rigorous fact-checking and pointed questions, including about his past statements on abortion and national security. Harris, however, was allowed to make several dubious claims without challenge, including an erroneous statement about US military presence........

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