A viral post shared on Facebook claims ABC News has purportedly fired David Muir and Linsey Davis, the moderators of the network’s Sept. 10 presidential debate.
Verdict: False
The claim is false and originally stems from a Sept. 12 article published on the satire website “Esspots.com.”
Fact Check:
Muir and Davis have received criticism from 2024 Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump and his supporters for correcting Trump but not 2024 Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris during ABC News’ Sept. 10 debate, according to Newsweek. Trump said the debate was “three on one” in a TRUTH Social post, the outlet reported.
The Facebook post, which has garnered over 1,000 likes as of writing, claims ABC News has purportedly fired Muir and Davis. “ABC Fires Debate Moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis: ‘They Are a Disgrace to Their Profession,’” the post’s caption reads. The post also features side-by-side photos of Muir and Davis.
The claim is false and originally stems from a Sept. 12 article published on the satire website “Esspots.com.” According to its “About” page, Esspots.com is a “subsidiary of SpaceXMania.com specializing in Satire and Parody News” and “your one-stop destination for satirical news and commentary about the United States of America.”
Likewise, the website’s “Disclaimer” page reiterates it is a “website that specializes in satire, parody, and humor. Before you proceed to read our content, we would like to emphasize that nothing on this website is real. All of the articles, stories, and commentary found on Esspots.com are entirely fictitious and created for the purpose of entertainment only,” it continues.
In addition, Check Your Fact did not find the claim referenced on ABC News’ website or on its verified social media accounts. Neither Muir nor Davis have publicly commented on the claim. (RELATED: Fact-Checking The First Debate Between Donald Trump And Kamala Harris)
Furthermore, Check Your Fact did not find any credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Sept. 12, Lead Stories reported the claim was false, tracing its origin to the same satire website.
Check Your Fact has contacted ABC News for comment.