David Muir, the familiar face behind ABC’s “World News Tonight,” is experiencing a notable dip in ratings following his role as co-moderator in last week’s presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Muir, who partnered with Linsey Davis during the debate, has come under fire for the way the event was handled, and the impact on his newscast’s viewership has been significant.
According to a report from the New York Post, Muir’s news broadcast averaged 6.7 million viewers in the days following the debate—Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of last week—representing a 12% decrease from his usual 7.6 million viewership. While Muir still managed to retain his spot at the top of the ratings compared to competitors like the “CBS Evening News” and “NBC Nightly News,” the drop for ABC was much steeper than the minor dips seen by the other networks.
ABC’s David Muir sees newscast ratings tank after his controversial debate moderating https://t.co/8jJbkzkM5N pic.twitter.com/YUcsnynvhf
— New York Post (@nypost) September 17, 2024
The backlash stems from the perceived bias displayed by both Muir and Davis during the debate. Critics have pointed out that while the moderators fact-checked Trump several times, often inaccurately, according to some observers, Harris was not given the same treatment. This disparity in approach, where Harris was allowed to push certain talking points unchallenged, has sparked frustration among viewers, many of whom felt the event was slanted.
🚨 JUST IN: Ratings for David Muir’s “World News Tonight” TANKED following his disastrous debate moderating
GOOD!
Viewership for his nightly ABC Newscast dropped by almost ONE MILLION—12%— in the three days following the debate.
The American people saw the media bias that… pic.twitter.com/275qAjCKba
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 17, 2024
Trump himself voiced his discontent with the debate’s format, calling it “one against three” and accusing the moderators of not being impartial. The former president specifically took aim at Muir, stating that the ABC anchor had lost respect from a lot of people for failing to apply the same level of scrutiny to Harris.
ABC’s @davidmuir and @linseydavis fact-checked @realDonaldTrump five times to @kamalaharris‘s zero while letting her get away with hoaxes that their own network debunked. ABC News’ reputation was the real loser last night. All future @GOP nominees should never agree to another… pic.twitter.com/VI9QS9MDa0
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) September 12, 2024
This controversy surrounding Muir’s moderation has raised questions about the future of his standing as one of the most trusted faces in evening news. Despite retaining a strong viewership, the sharp drop in ratings, combined with the swirling criticisms of bias, could signal more challenges ahead for Muir and ABC’s flagship news program.
Whether this is a temporary hit or a sign of a longer-term shift in public trust remains to be seen, but Muir’s reputation certainly appears to be on shakier ground following the debate debacle.
