ABC News anchor Linsey Davis admitted in a post-debate interview that her fact-checking of Trump was influenced by the earlier CNN debate, which was disastrous for Biden.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Davis explained she wanted to prevent Trump’s statements from going unchallenged, as they did during the June debate between Trump and Biden on CNN.
Davis, during breakfast at the Ritz Carlton in Philadelphia, shared that her decision to correct the candidates was in direct response to Biden’s poor performance in the June 27 CNN debate.
“People were concerned that statements were allowed to just hang and not be disputed by Biden or the moderators,” Davis told the Times.
The Los Angeles Times praised Davis, calling her a “rising star” who held Trump accountable during the debate.
One notable moment came when Davis told Trump, “there is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it’s born,” countering Trump’s claim about former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s remarks.
While some praised Davis, a pro-life group demanded a correction, calling her statement “100% inaccurate.”
Critics have since accused both Davis and co-moderator Muir of bias, pointing out that Trump was fact-checked five times, while Harris wasn’t corrected once during the debate.
Trump echoed these accusations, calling the debate a “rigged deal,” telling “Fox & Friends,” it was “three to one.”
Despite the lack of fact-checks for Harris, Davis insisted her team intended to hold both candidates accountable throughout the debate.
The Times reported that Davis and Muir had spent hours studying campaign rallies and interviews, preparing to challenge both candidates’ false statements.
Davis, however, dismissed accusations of bias, pointing out that no moderator could catch every misstatement.
She also noted the personal toll of the criticism, stating she’s aware of the stereotypes against her and has since turned off her social media accounts.