Donald Trump has a well-known tendency to label anything he disapproves of as “rigged.” From his perspective, a wide range of aspects in American society — such as elections, the legal system, and even award shows like the Emmys — are manipulated by unspecified malicious forces.
Given this, it wasn’t surprising that Trump called his September 10 debate with Vice President Kamala Harris “rigged,” both before and after it took place.
During the debate, Trump made several false claims, and in some cases, ABC News moderators Linsey Davis and David Muir stepped in to correct him. This angered many Republicans, who seemed to expect that Trump should be allowed to make false statements without being corrected, regardless of the impact on viewers.
Trump voiced his frustration with ABC News during an interview with “Fox & Friends” after the debate. Trump accused the network of biased moderation, claiming the debate was “rigged” in Harris’ favor and suggested ABC News should lose its broadcasting license.
Trump’s main grievance was directed at the debate’s moderators, whom he accused of unfairly correcting his statements while not fact-checking Harris. “They’re dishonest,” Trump said when asked why he believed the moderators hadn’t fact-checked Harris as rigorously. He also described the debate as being “three-to-one,” implying that both moderators sided with Harris throughout the event.
“I think ABC took a big hit last night,” Trump stated. “To be honest, they’re a news organization—they have to be licensed to do it. They ought to take away their license for the way they did that.”
Throughout the interview, Trump continued to express his dissatisfaction with the media. Despite his frustrations, Trump maintained that he had expected such treatment, stating, “Now, I didn’t mind because frankly, I was pretty sure that’s what they would do.”
In contrast, Trump praised the debate he had with President Joe Biden on CNN earlier in the election season. According to Trump, CNN had conducted a “much more honorably run debate,” pointing out that the CNN moderators refrained from fact-checking or questioning the candidates during the event, a decision agreed upon by both campaigns.
Trump also addressed Harris’ claims made during the debate. One point of contention was Harris’ paraphrasing of his comments about the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. During the debate, Harris referenced Trump’s infamous statement that there were “very fine people on both sides,” a remark made after the violent 2017 rally. Trump insisted that Harris misrepresented his comments, stating that he had clearly condemned neo-Nazis and white nationalists at the same press conference. “Everybody knew that, frankly,” Trump said, adding, “I think they lost a lot of credibility.”
Trump further took issue with Harris’ statement that he planned to implement Project 2025 and that he would sign a national abortion ban if reelected. “Lies,” Trump declared, suggesting that Harris’ remarks were part of a broader strategy to misrepresent his policies. The debate ended with Trump expressing confidence in his performance, stating, “I’ve been told I’m a good debater… Maybe my best debate.”
Despite his complaints, Trump appeared optimistic about the debate’s outcome. He indicated that his supporters felt he performed well, although polls suggested Harris might have had the edge in the event. A CNN poll, for instance, found that a majority of viewers believed Harris performed better than Trump during the debate, with 63% of those surveyed saying Harris had the upper hand.
Trump’s demand to revoke ABC News’ broadcasting license marks another chapter in his long-standing battle with mainstream media. Throughout his presidency and beyond, Trump has frequently targeted major news outlets, accusing them of dishonesty and bias. This latest remark adds ABC to the list of media organizations Trump has threatened, which also includes NBC, CBS, and CNN.
Commentators have pointed out that there’s a notable difference between complaining about fact-checking and suggesting that a major media outlet should have its broadcasting license revoked. Recently, Trump has been promoting an authoritarian approach, with actions like threatening opponents with prison, praising dictators, suggesting temporary dictatorship in America, and proposing military-style mass deportations. His intention to suppress the free press is a significant and extreme element of this agenda.
However, legal experts note that it is highly unlikely for any broadcast license to be revoked due to perceived bias in debate moderation. Broadcast licenses are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and there are stringent legal standards in place to protect free speech and press freedom, making such an action improbable.
In the days following the debate, Harris’ campaign has called for a second debate between the two candidates. While Harris has expressed her eagerness to debate Trump again, he has declined the offer, stating that one debate is sufficient. Trump’s refusal to participate in further debates may reflect his belief that the moderators were unfair to him, though it remains to be seen whether public pressure will lead to another event.
