Approximately 67.1 million people tuned in to watch the presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, a notable increase from the June debate that led to President Joe Biden exiting the race, according to Nielsen company data. The debate was broadcast on 17 different networks, hosted by ABC News. In comparison, the June debate between Trump and Biden attracted 51.3 million viewers. While this viewership figure was significant, it fell short of the record set during the 2016 debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton, which was watched by 84 million people. The first 2020 debate between Biden and Trump had 73.1 million viewers.
Following the recent debate, criticism arose towards ABC moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis, as they engaged in real-time fact-checking during the event, correcting four statements made by Trump. Despite the absence of any scheduled future debates between the presidential candidates, there have been discussions about potential debates, and Fox News Channel has expressed willingness to host. However, CBS is slated to host a vice presidential debate featuring Tim Walz and JD Vance.
The stakes were high for Tuesday’s debate, not only due to the upcoming election but also because of the aftermath of the previous presidential debate, which ultimately led to Biden’s withdrawal from the race. Reactions to ABC’s handling of the most recent debate appeared to be divided along political lines, with MSNBC commentator Chris Hayes praising the moderators’ performance, while conservative commentator Ben Shapiro criticized their approach.
Unlike CNN’s decision not to fact-check during the June debate between Trump and Biden, ABC took a different approach by challenging Trump’s statements on various topics such as abortion, immigration, the 2020 election, and crime. The differing reactions to the debate reflected the divided views of supporters from both camps regarding the event.