GOP senator demands pre-debate discussions between ABC News and Harris – Washington Examiner
Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) has made a formal request to ABC News, demanding transparency regarding its interactions with Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign before a recent presidential debate. In his letter, Marshall noted allegations of bias during the debate, specifically pointing out that Donald Trump was fact-checked several times while Harris was not. He expressed concern that the debate, moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis, exhibited a “blatant partiality” in favor of Harris, which was apparent to the 67 million viewers. Marshall’s request includes the release of all communications and records between ABC News and Harris’s campaign, as well as internal texts and emails from ABC employees to identify any potential biases displayed before the debate. He argued that the American public deserves accountability and transparency from mainstream media regarding any coordination with political campaigns. The controversy has been amplified by contributions from ABC’s parent company, The Walt Disney Company, to Harris’s political endeavors.
GOP senator demands pre-debate discussions between ABC News and Harris
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) has issued a letter to ABC News demanding it reveal any communication it had with Vice President Kamala Harris‘s campaign ahead of last week’s presidential debate that held “blatant partiality.”
Marshall’s letter comes after many Republicans criticized ABC News’s handling of the debate between former President Donald Trump and Harris, with the Kansas senator citing how Trump was fact-checked multiple times while Harris was not. The letter stated that the 67 million viewers witnessed the network, along with debate moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis, engage in “a biased agenda” against the former president.
“For these reasons, I demand that you make public all correspondence, records, and potential coordination between the Harris campaign and ABC News ahead of the September 10th ABC debate,” the letter read. “I also request you publish all internal ABC News texts and emails, both between ABC employees themselves and with the Harris campaign, to elucidate any potential biases that ABC News employees may have demonstrated prior to the debate between President Trump and Vice President Harris.”
On debate night, it became abundantly clear that ABC News had a biased agenda.
The American people deserve transparency & accountability from the mainstream media on whether @ABC had coordinated or worked in cooperation with the Harris Campaign. pic.twitter.com/CvEoKrVdEC
— Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) September 18, 2024
The letter also cites how Dana Walden, co-chairwoman of ABC News’s parent company, The Walt Disney Company, has been donating money to Harris’s political campaigns since at least 2003. It was also noted that Harris has referred to Walden as an “extraordinary friend.”
Marshall stated Friday that he would investigate claims that ABC News was biased toward Trump in its debate. The senator has given the network a deadline of Sept. 27 to respond with the requested information.
Despite the criticism of ABC News’s handling of the debate, Trump has dismissed doing another debate between him and Harris. He argued the vice president has asked for another debate because “I won,” and Harris wants a rematch.
Since the debate, Muir’s ABC World News Tonight ratings have fallen by 12%, with an average of 6.7 million viewers on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, compared to an average of 7.6 million before the debate.
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