ABC News anchor David Muir is facing significant challenges after a sharp decline in viewership for his show “World News Tonight,” following the September 10 presidential debate where he co-moderated. Muir and fellow moderator Linsey Davis were criticized for their aggressive questioning of former President Donald Trump, leading to accusations of bias.
After the debate, Muir’s show lost nearly a million viewers, averaging just 6.7 million over the following three days—a 12% drop compared to its usual viewership. Trump responded by criticizing Muir, claiming he had lost respect for him due to perceived unfairness during the debate.
Muir defended his approach, stating that he focused on issues important to Americans and dismissed the backlash as “noise.” However, viewer comments suggest that some tuned out due to frustration with his handling of the debate. In the aftermath, Trump declined Kamala Harris’s invitation for a second debate, asserting he had won the first.
