Moderators of the presidential debate hosted by ABC News have been criticised for not asking Donald Trump about the failed assassination attempt.
David Muir and Linsey Davis quickly moved forward after the Republican presidential candidate mentioned that he had been shot at one of his campaign rallies in Pennsylvania during Tuesday’s debate.
Neither the moderators nor Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged the shooting even after Trump himself mentioned it when asked about the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.
Trump said he “probably took a bullet to the head because of the things they (Democrats) say about me.”
He added: “They talk about democracy. I am a threat to democracy. They are the threat to democracy.”
Moderators of the presidential debate hosted by ABC News have come under fire for failing to ask Donald Trump about the failed assassination attempt on him in July.
David Muir and Linsey Davis quickly came forward after the Republican presidential candidate mentioned the assassination attempt at one of his rallies.
Muir interrupted the president as he spoke about the assassination attempt, saying, “We have a lot of work to do,” before moving on to another topic.
Trump made the comments after Muir asked him if he regretted anything he said in the run-up to the riot.
In an essay for The federalistEditorial director Kylee Griswold criticizes the moderators for asking about Jan. 6 and not asking Vice President Kamala Harris whether Democrats’ rhetoric could have led to the attempted assassination of Trump.
Griswold wrote: ‘Imagine refusing to ask the current vice president if she regrets her hateful anti-Trump rhetoric and the Biden administration’s use of the federal government as a weapon against Trump that may have inspired a gun-wielding madman to shoot him in the head.’
Many social media users have also highlighted the failure of moderators to discuss the issue.
One X user said: ‘One of my favorite parts of the debate was when Harris directly failed to acknowledge the assassination attempt on Trump even though he clearly mentioned it in hopes of being able to exchange views with her about it.’
Another added: “One of the funniest moments of the debate was when Trump wanted to talk about the assassination attempt and the moderators just shut him down.”
Muir and Davis have been accused of being biased and only fact-checking Trump while leaving Harris’s claims unverified.
Many social media users have also highlighted the failure of moderators to discuss the issue.
Moderators repeatedly fact-checked the former president and let Harris off the hook on a number of issues, including her positions on fracking, the economy and Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Trump was fact-checked on a number of issues, including abortion, Obamacare, the January 6 riots and the baseless claim that immigrants have been eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.
Opinions on how ABC handled Tuesday’s final debate were largely a Rorschach test of how supporters on both sides felt about how the matter played out.
Neither the moderators nor Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged the shooting even after Trump himself mentioned it when asked about the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.
Neither the moderators nor Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged the shooting even after Trump himself mentioned it when asked about the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.
MSNBC commentator Chris Hayes posted a message on X saying that ABC moderators were doing an “excellent” job, only to be responded to by conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, who said, “that’s how you know they’re complete shit.”
Following the debate, Harris said she would like to debate the former president again before the November election.
Trump was noncommittal after taking to the “press room” minutes after the contest, saying he would have to think about it.
Muir and Davis have been accused of being biased and only fact-checking Trump while letting Harris’s claims pass unchecked.
A CNN snap poll taken shortly after the debate showed Harris leading Trump 63 to 37 when viewers watching were asked who won.
Trump gave himself a good evaluation, calling it his “best debate yet,” though he complained about the moderators.
At the end of the interview, Hannity pressed him again on whether he would do another debate, and Trump remained unwilling. “The reason you do a second debate is if you lose, and they lost… But I’ll think about it,” he said.