ABC News anchor Linsey Davis admitted in a post-debate interview that her fact-checking of former President Trump was influenced by the earlier CNN debate that went disastrously for President Biden. Davis addressed concerns that Trump’s statements could be allowed to go unchallenged, as happened during the CNN debate where Biden underperformed. She stated that her decision to correct the candidates was in response to the lack of dispute during the previous debate. The Los Angeles Times praised Davis, calling her a “rising star” who “held Trump’s feet to the fire.”
In a viral moment during the debate, Davis corrected Trump when he mentioned a statement made by former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam about post-birth abortion, stating that it is illegal in any state to kill a baby after it is born. While this moment was celebrated by liberals, a pro-life group criticized Davis for being inaccurate. Since the debate, both Davis and co-moderator David Muir have faced backlash for allegedly being biased towards Vice President Kamala Harris. Critics have accused the moderators of fact-checking Trump five times while not correcting Harris once.
Despite the lack of fact-checks for Harris, Davis insisted that her team intended to fact-check both candidates throughout the debate. She defended her and Muir’s preparation for the event, stating that they were ready to counter the candidates’ most egregious statements. Davis denied accusations of bias, claiming that they could not catch every misstatement. The Los Angeles Times noted that none of Harris’ incorrect statements during the debate received any rebukes, despite Davis’ efforts to fact-check both candidates.
The Los Angeles Times article also mentioned how Davis confronted the stereotype of bias in her coverage of the event, noting that she received criticism on social media. Davis addressed the stereotype and acknowledged the reminders she received from anonymous individuals online. The report further mentioned that Davis chose to turn off her social media accounts, indicating that she was aware of the criticisms against her. Fox News Digital reached out to ABC News for comment.
In conclusion, Linsey Davis admitted that her fact-checking of former President Trump during the debate was influenced by the previous CNN debate where Biden failed to challenge Trump’s statements. Despite facing backlash for alleged bias towards Vice President Harris, Davis insisted that she intended to fact-check both candidates. She defended her and Muir’s preparation for the event and denied accusations of bias, noting that they could not catch every misstatement. The article also mentioned how Davis confronted the stereotype of bias and the criticism she received on social media.
