ABC News anchor David Muir is facing a sharp drop in viewership following his role as moderator in the 2024 presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Muir’s nightly news program, World News Tonight, saw a 12% decline in ratings after the debate, according to a report from the New York Post. Muir had previously averaged 7.6 million viewers but dropped to 6.7 million in the days following the debate.
The debate, which was likely the only one between the two presidential nominees, sparked significant controversy, with critics accusing Muir and his co-moderator, Linsey Davis, of showing bias toward Harris. Many viewers felt that the moderators allowed Harris to push false claims while disproportionately fact-checking Trump. In some cases, their fact-checks were later found to be inaccurate.
The backlash led to calls for more impartiality in future debates, with Trump himself criticizing the moderators for what he described as a “one-sided” event. Trump argued that if fact-checking was going to be part of the debate, it should have applied to both candidates equally.
Despite the drop in ratings, Muir’s show remains the top-rated evening news program. However, the controversy surrounding his debate performance has led to growing concerns over media bias, with many conservative viewers expressing frustration with how the event was handled.
