False Claim: Linsey Davis Only Fact-Checked Trump During Debate, Viral Blog Post Debunked

On September 10, 2024, the presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris captured the nation’s attention, but it wasn’t just the candidates making headlines. ABC News anchor Linsey Davis, one of the debate’s moderators, became the center of a viral claim. A blog post by Chicks on the Right, published on September 17, 2024, claimed that Davis admitted to fact-checking only Donald Trump during the debate. The post alleged a planned bias by Davis and her co-moderator, David Muir, asserting that Trump was fact-checked seven times, while Harris faced no fact-checks, despite making false claims.

However, a fact-check by Snopes has debunked these allegations, showing that there is no evidence supporting the blog’s claims about Davis or ABC News having a biased fact-checking plan.

Examining the Blog’s Claims

The Chicks on the Right blog suggested that during the debate, Davis fact-checked Donald Trump seven times, often inaccurately, while Kamala Harris was spared from any scrutiny. One of the specific false claims mentioned in the blog was Harris’ use of the controversial “Charlottesville ‘very fine people’ narrative,” which the blog argues should have been debunked during the debate.

However, the blog provided no credible sources to back up its allegations. According to Snopes, while the blog insisted that Harris was not fact-checked, there is no evidence proving this to be the case. In fact, neither Davis nor Muir were shown to have fact-checked Trump inaccurately, nor is there proof that they ignored false claims made by Harris. The blog’s assertions of selective fact-checking are therefore unfounded.

WOW — Linsey Davis fact-checks Trump awful lies about abortion. Kamala hammers the point home that Trump is a liar. pic.twitter.com/5thDmNYmM0

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 11, 2024

Linsey Davis’ Comments on Fact-Checking

The Chicks on the Right article also referenced an interview with the Los Angeles Times, where Linsey Davis discussed the debate and her role as a moderator. While the blog interpreted her comments as evidence of bias, they failed to mention that Davis and Muir had thoroughly prepared by studying both candidates’ political records ahead of the debate. Davis explained that the moderators expected both candidates to repeat familiar talking points, which informed their decision to fact-check when necessary.

In her interview, Davis clarified that she and Muir wanted to prevent misinformation from going unchecked during the debate, a response to criticisms following an earlier debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden in June 2024, which was hosted by CNN. In that debate, moderators did not challenge false claims made by either candidate during the live event, and the fact-checking occurred post-debate. Davis explained that her intention was to address this concern during the September debate by fact-checking live when necessary, debunking any claims of bias.

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Additional Rumors Surrounding Linsey Davis

The viral post also mentioned several other rumors about Linsey Davis. One rumor claimed that she had shut down her social media accounts to avoid accusations of bias in favor of Kamala Harris. Davis addressed this in her Los Angeles Times

interview, calling it a “stereotype” and acknowledging the persistent online rumors suggesting she couldn’t be impartial. She emphasized that unfounded accusations from “anonymous Instagram people” were part of her daily experience as a journalist.

Another false rumor claimed that both Linsey Davis and David Muir were fired by ABC after the debate. This was spread by a Facebook post on September 11, 2024, by a user named “SpaceX fanclub.” Despite some internet users taking the post seriously, it was quickly flagged as satire.

The claim that Linsey Davis admitted to planning fact-checks solely for Donald Trump during the September 2024 debate is entirely false. The viral post from Chicks on the Right lacked credible evidence to support its assertions, and fact-checkers have debunked the narrative of bias. Linsey Davis has made it clear that both candidates were fact-checked during the debate when necessary, with no intentional favoritism toward either side. Additionally, other rumors about Davis’ impartiality and her supposed firing are baseless.

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