Mark Penn, a former adviser to both Bill and Hillary Clinton, has called for an investigation into ABC's moderation of the 2024 presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Penn, who has been outspoken about media bias, suggested that ABC’s moderators may have intentionally skewed the debate in favor of Harris, raising questions about potential rigging.
Penn demanded an independent investigation into whether the network’s debate coverage was planned in a way that gave an unfair advantage to the Democratic candidate.
ABC moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis faced criticism from Penn and others for what appeared to be stricter questioning of Trump. According to Penn, Trump was subjected to numerous fact-checks, while Harris was not pressed as hard on her answers and managed to avoid direct responses to several questions.
This perceived discrepancy in treatment fueled Penn’s call for a thorough review of ABC's internal communications. He emphasized the need for transparency and clarity to determine whether the moderators’ approach was pre-planned and designed to favor Harris.
"I actually think they should do a full internal investigation, hire an outside law firm," Penn said, adding that it was unclear whether there had been pre-debate coordination between ABC and the Harris campaign. "I don't know what they told the Harris campaign. The day after, suspicion here is really quite high."
Penn was not alone in his criticism of ABC’s handling of the debate. Some commentators, including CNN’s Jake Tapper, pointed out that Harris dodged several questions throughout the evening, raising concerns about the moderators’ leniency toward her.
Despite these concerns, a Reuters survey showed that Trump came out as the winner of the debate among undecided voters. This poll result seemed to contradict the notion that Harris had fully dominated the debate, even with what some saw as a biased environment.
Nevertheless, the media’s coverage of the debate largely portrayed Harris in a positive light. Penn, in his critique of the debate and the broader media landscape, noted that Harris has succeeded in convincing many voters that it is time to "turn the page" on Trump, positioning herself as the candidate for change.
Penn argued that an independent investigation is essential to uncover the truth behind the debate's moderation. He suggested that ABC should allow an outside party to review all internal texts and emails related to the debate to assess whether any intentional rigging occurred. Penn stressed that the integrity of the debate process is crucial to maintaining trust in the electoral process.
"I think a review of all their internal texts and emails really should be done by an independent party," Penn said. He continued by questioning the role of the moderators in "fact-checking just one candidate and, in effect, rigging the outcome of this debate."
Trump, meanwhile, has expressed frustration with the debate format and stated that he will not participate in a third debate with Harris. The former president has long been critical of what he perceives as media bias against him, and Penn’s comments appear to align with Trump’s ongoing narrative.
According to Penn, Trump remains a strong contender in the 2024 race, despite the challenges he faces in dealing with a potentially biased media landscape. Penn, who also serves as chairman of the Harvard CAPS Harris Poll, remarked that the race is still highly competitive, with both candidates having viable paths to victory.
"It's a 50-50 race," Penn said. "He's [Trump] got more obvious tools to get across the finish line than she does."
Penn acknowledged that Harris has made significant strides in building her campaign, but he also warned that biased media coverage could make it more difficult for Trump to overcome obstacles and reach undecided voters. "If the referees have their finger on the scale, it's harder to break through and overcome," he added.
As part of his advice to the Trump campaign, Penn recommended highlighting Harris’s responses to a survey conducted by the ACLU, which indicated her support for taxpayer-funded sex change operations for prisoners and the defunding of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Penn believes that publicizing these stances could help Trump gain more support from voters concerned about these issues.
Penn also criticized the overall media coverage of the election, stating that it has been "fairly laughable" in terms of its favorability toward Harris. He suggested that the media's portrayal of Harris as the candidate of change has contributed to her growing support, but stressed that Trump’s policies and strengths could still resonate with a significant portion of the electorate.
With tensions rising over the handling of the debates, Penn’s call for an investigation into ABC’s moderation practices may add further scrutiny to future debates and media coverage of the 2024 election.
