In an unprecedented and downright bizarre twist in the ongoing media wars, NBC Comcast has taken ABC off the air, declaring that the rival network “owes the American people an apology.” While corporate feuds are nothing new in the media landscape, this latest clash has raised eyebrows for its boldness—and for what seems to be the underlying cause: ABC’s controversial handling of the recent presidential debate, particularly the now-infamous fact-checking of former President Donald Trump by moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis.
Yes, you read that right—two networks are now publicly at odds over a political debate. And it’s not about who had the best stage lighting or snappiest soundbites. No, this is about truth, lies, and whether or not interrupting a former president to clarify that no, he did not lose the 2020 election “by a whisker,” is grounds for a media industry mutiny.
It all started with ABC’s hosting of the latest presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. While debates are traditionally high-octane, this one reached new heights, largely due to the moderators’ decision to fact-check Trump in real-time. During the 90-minute exchange, Muir and Davis stepped in multiple times to correct the former president’s claims on everything from abortion to immigrants supposedly eating pets in Ohio (yes, that was a real claim).
For Trump supporters, it felt like a pile-on, with some even dubbing the event “The Roast of Donald Trump, Sponsored by ABC.” The real kicker came when Muir interrupted Trump to debunk his assertion that Democrats support “executing babies after birth,” and again when he refuted Trump’s bizarre story about immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, dining on the neighborhood pets.
