Thu Sep 12 01:32:20 UTC 2024: ## Record Viewership for Harris-Trump Debate, But Criticism Follows

**Jacksonville, FL –** The presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump on Tuesday night drew a massive audience of 67.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen data. This represents a significant increase from the June debate between Trump and President Joe Biden, which attracted 51.3 million viewers.

The debate, moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis of ABC News, was broadcast on 17 different networks. While it fell short of the record 84 million viewers for the first Trump-Clinton debate in 2016, it surpassed the viewership for the first Biden-Trump debate in 2020, which reached 73.1 million people.

Despite the high viewership, the debate has sparked significant controversy, particularly among Trump supporters. Many have criticized the ABC moderators for their active fact-checking during the debate, which included four corrections to statements made by Trump. These corrections covered topics such as abortion, immigration, the 2020 election, and violent crime.

This aggressive approach to fact-checking stands in stark contrast to CNN’s handling of the June debate between Trump and Biden, where the network chose not to correct any of the candidates’ misstatements.

The sharp criticisms from Trump supporters reflect the highly polarized political climate and the ongoing debate about the role of moderators in presidential debates.

The next debate between Harris and Trump is currently unconfirmed, although Fox News has publicly offered alternative venues. A vice presidential debate between Tim Walz and JD Vance, hosted by CBS, is scheduled for later this month.

The high stakes of this election, coupled with the events following the last debate, which ultimately led to President Biden’s withdrawal from the race, have created a climate of heightened anticipation and scrutiny around these debates. The outcome of the upcoming election remains uncertain, and the role of these debates in shaping public opinion and voter decisions will be closely watched.

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