The upcoming September 10 debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is stirring controversy as it comes to light that Dana Walden, the Disney executive under whose purview ABC News falls, is a close friend of Harris and was appointed by President Biden to the President’s Export Council in 2023. Walden, who has known Harris for decades and even introduced her to her husband, Doug Emhoff, is now at the center of debate integrity concerns.
Walden’s ties to Harris are well-documented. The two first met in 1994, and their husbands have been friends since the 1980s. The Waldens played a pivotal role in introducing Harris to Emhoff, and Harris has publicly praised them as “extraordinary friends.” The Waldens have been consistent donors to Harris’s political campaigns, and their influence has extended into personal and professional realms.
ABC News has attempted to dispel concerns by stating that Walden is not involved in editorial decisions, emphasizing that her role is focused on corporate matters like staffing and budgets. However, critics argue that Walden’s close personal relationship with Harris and her financial contributions to the Biden-Harris campaign create a potential conflict of interest, especially with Harris’s campaign reportedly seeking to alter debate rules to their advantage.
Walden’s 2023 appointment to the President’s Export Council, where she serves as an advisor on international trade, further complicates the optics of the debate. With Trump’s campaign raising alarms over potential bias and the Harris camp denying they requested rule changes, the integrity of the debate remains a point of contention.
