“Are Muir and Davis running for office too?” tweeted one frustrated viewer. “If so, they should put their names on the ballot because they sure seem to think they’re part of the debate.”
The fallout was swift. Twitter/X became a battleground, with hashtags like #RiggedDebate and #FireTheModerators trending for hours after the event. Even ABC’s own comment sections were flooded with angry posts, many accusing the network of turning what should have been a neutral platform into a partisan attack on Trump.
Perhaps the most immediate and painful consequence of the debate was ABC’s plummeting ratings. According to industry insiders, the network saw a significant drop in viewership following the debate, with many calling it the “worst performance” in recent history.
“For a network like ABC, which prides itself on being a trusted source of information, this is a disaster,” said one media analyst. “Their credibility has taken a massive hit, and it’s going to take a long time to recover.”
