Former President Donald Trump lashed out at ABC News, accusing the network of rigging Tuesday’s presidential debate and labeling it a “dishonest news organization.” In an early morning call to Fox & Friends on Wednesday, Trump expressed frustration with the moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, accusing them of unfairly fact-checking his arguments while giving Vice President Kamala Harris a pass. “It was 3-to-1, it was a rigged deal as I assumed it would be,” Trump told Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade when asked about his debate performance, which has been widely panned, including by conservative pundits. Trump argued that the moderators focused on correcting him while ignoring inaccuracies from Harris. “Every time I spoke and my stuff was right, they would correct [me],” Trump said, adding that he felt Harris was not held to the same standard. Trump also criticized what he described as a media bias in favor of Harris, claiming the press had consistently provided her with favorable coverage. “When you looked at the fact they were correcting everything and not correcting with her… the press is so dishonest in this country it’s amazing,” he said. He pointed to several instances, such as his remarks on Charlottesville, that he claimed were wrongly fact-checked by ABC News. Despite his grievances, Trump insisted that he performed well under the circumstances. “I thought I did a great job. It was 3-on-1,” he said, referencing the moderators and Harris. “That’s okay, I have had worse odds in my life. I have had it before. But never so obvious.” Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) didn’t mince words when describing former President Donald Trump’s performance in Tuesday night’s presidential debate, calling it a “disaster.” Speaking to The Bulwark’s Tim Miller in the post-debate spin room, Graham expressed disappointment in Trump’s preparation and suggested the former president fire his debate team. “He appeared unprepared,” Graham said, echoing the sentiments of commentators across the political spectrum, many of whom declared Vice President Kamala Harris the clear winner of the debate in Philadelphia. Trump, known for his sharp exchanges, struggled to land his usual blows as Harris baited him into defensive responses, leading many to question his debate strategy. Graham was not alone in his criticism. Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume also weighed in, saying, “Let’s make no mistake. Trump had a bad night. We just heard so many of the old grievances that we all know aren’t winners politically.” A voter panel on Fox News overwhelmingly declared Vice President Kamala Harris the winner of the debate, criticizing former President Donald Trump for what many saw as a lack of strategy in his performance. The debate, which marked the first face-off between Harris and Trump, came just under two months before election day. According to a focus group conducted by Fox News Digital, a majority of voters—12 out of 17—felt that Harris outperformed Trump. The panel, which included Democrats, Independents, and Republicans, largely pointed to Trump’s struggle to land new attacks on Harris, as well as his reliance on familiar rhetoric from past campaigns. “Trump was so bad, he’s just like an old suit from like 1987 right now. He just repeats himself,” one participant said, capturing the frustration of several voters who accused Trump of failing to adapt to a new political opponent. […]
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