Following the debate, Muir's newscast saw a 12% drop in viewership

 David Muir, the anchor of ABC's "World News Tonight," may have alienated some viewers after ABC's coverage of the recent presidential debate sparked criticism from conservatives. During the debate, Muir and co-moderator Linsey Davis fact-checked former President Donald Trump multiple times but did not correct Vice President Kamala Harris. This led to complaints from conservative groups, including Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which claimed Davis made an inaccurate statement about abortion while fact-checking Trump.

Following the debate, Muir's newscast saw a 12% drop in viewership, going from an average of 7.6 million viewers in 2024 to 6.7 million over the three episodes following the debate. While "World News Tonight" remains the top evening newscast, the decline in viewers was sharper than those seen by its competitors, CBS and NBC.

Trump criticized the debate as "one-sided" and expressed disappointment in Muir, suggesting that Harris should have been fact-checked on various claims. Davis later explained that her approach to fact-checking Trump was influenced by concerns over a previous debate where President Biden's statements went unchallenged.

ABC's Martha Raddatz acknowledged post-debate that Harris was incorrect when she claimed no U.S. military personnel were in active combat zones. Despite this, neither Muir nor Davis corrected Harris during the debate, which had an audience of nearly 70 million.