Trump slams ABC News for “breaking debate agreement” and accuses network of biased fact-checking

Donald Trump, former US president and Republican presidential candidate, has sharply criticized ABC News for allegedly violating an agreement with his campaign during a recent presidential debate. Trump, 78, accused the network of unfairly vetting his statements while allowing Vice President Kamala Harris to go unchallenged.

During a campaign rally in New York City on Thursday, Trump specifically targeted ABC anchors, particularly David Muir, for correcting his claims about rising crime rates in the United States. Trump argued that the correction was both inaccurate and biased, claiming, “When I said crime is way up there, he corrected me … but he never once corrected Kamala Harris,” according to Fox News.

The debate, which took place on September 10 and was organized by ABC News, pitted Trump and Harris against each other, with US media declaring Harris the winner. However, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the moderation and stated that he was subjected to biased treatment. “I was around three,” Trump remarked, referring to Muir, co-host Linsey Davis and Harris. “But I think we did great.”

Trump’s biggest disappointment stemmed from a reported agreement with ABC before the debate, in which the network reportedly promised not to fact-check either candidate during the event. Trump claimed that ABC had broken that “deal” and accused the network of acting in bad faith. “We had an agreement with ABC that there would be no corrections and they violated it. These are bad people, fake news,” he explained.

Trump also took aim at Linsey Davis, who he said provided the debate’s first fact check. “I’ve never heard of her. I never want to hear from her. She was terrible,” he added.

Conservative commentators echoed Trump’s complaints, accusing the ABC anchors of being tough on Trump while letting Harris pass unchallenged. Trump was reportedly fact-checked five times during the debate, while Harris faced no corrections from the moderators.

Looking back on the debate, Trump admitted he regretted not calling the moderators at the time. “I wanted to be elegant and I didn’t want to offend the presenters. I wish I had,” he said during an appearance on “Gutfeld!”

Trump has not yet confirmed whether he will participate in future debates, including a scheduled CNN debate on October 23. Although he suggested that it might be “too late” since early voting had already begun, he left the possibility open, stating, “Maybe, if I’m in the right mood.”

ABC News has not yet commented on Trump’s allegations.