Kelly Discusses Debate
Megyn Kelly didn’t hold back when it came to her criticism of the ABC News moderators during the recent presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. In real time, as the debate unfolded, Kelly took to social media platform X to slam moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis for what she described as blatant bias in favor of Harris.
“These moderators are a disgraceful failure,” Kelly wrote, emphasizing the imbalance she perceived throughout the debate. According to her, ABC News seemed to be running interference for Harris, ensuring that she had the upper hand. Kelly’s frustration grew as she observed what she saw as a concerted effort to protect Harris, particularly when it came to follow-up opportunities. “When he scores a point,” she noted, “they make sure she gets another bite at the apple.”
Kelly was especially angered by what she called a one-sided fact-checking process. Time and again, she accused the moderators of grilling Trump while letting Harris get away with questionable claims. “The absolute gall of ABC to keep ‘fact checking’ ONLY Trump while letting her lie in every answer is infuriating,” she posted to her 3.1 million followers. For Kelly, this wasn’t just biased moderation; it was something so blatant that she believed it would ultimately backfire on Harris and ABC alike. She predicted that the obvious “pile-on” would become a liability for the moderators and even Harris herself.
These moderators are a disgraceful failure and this is one of the most biased, unfair debates I have ever seen. Shame on you @ABC
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) September 11, 2024
Her frustration reached a boiling point when she noted the uneven questioning. In her view, nearly every question put Trump on the defensive, dragging him through his controversies while giving Harris extended opportunities to criticize him further.
Kelly described the moderators as having created a “3 against 1” scenario, calling out lies she believed Harris had gotten away with on issues like abortion, Charlottesville, January 6th, crime data, and border security. When Trump finally managed to corner Harris on third-trimester abortions, Kelly says the moderators quickly moved the debate along, effectively rescuing Harris from a tough spot.
And Kelly wasn’t alone in her condemnation. Several others chimed in on social media, echoing her frustrations. One user noted that “David Muir is criticizing and attacking Trump more than Kamala is,” arguing that Harris barely needed to participate with the moderators doing much of the work for her. Another person commented that the moderators fact-checked Trump repeatedly but let Harris slide on key issues like Project 2025 and IVF.
The flood of criticism pointed to specific moments where Harris allegedly misled the public, but faced no accountability from the moderators. These included her comments on late-term abortion, the infamous “very fine people” line from the Charlottesville rally, and crime statistics, among others. Critics were quick to label the moderators’ actions as propaganda, drawing comparisons to state-controlled media like Pravda, and suggesting that they had “sold their souls.”
As Kelly pointed out, this level of perceived bias from the moderators isn’t just a matter of frustrating a few debate watchers—it’s the kind of display that can have serious implications. When the audience sees the scales tipped so blatantly in favor of one candidate, the integrity of the debate itself comes into question. And when a media network like ABC, theoretically tasked with conducting a fair and balanced debate, appears to favor one side so openly, it risks alienating a large portion of the viewing public.