ABC's David Muir Hit with Renewed Debate Scrutiny After New Springfield Video Is Uncovered
While both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris were scrutinized for their debate performances on Sept. 10, outrage targeted debate host ABC News for the conduct of moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis.
One exchange between Trump and Muir garnered attention when the two sparred over the credibility of reports concerning Haitian migrants eating domestic animals in Springfield, Ohio. After Muir took it upon himself to counter Trump’s claim that pets were being eaten, viewers found it necessary to fact-check Muir’s fact check to see how much merit there was to Trump’s claim.
Resurfaced footage from March in Springfield isn’t boding well for Muir.
Muir claimed ABC reached out to Springfield’s city manager, who informed the outlet that no credible reports existed of Haitians eating pets.
The aforementioned footage from March was posted to X on Tuesday, showing the same city manager present while this issue was being discussed.
Now we have the Springfield City Manager acknowledging on video that they’ve heard of complaints of domestic animals being eaten back in March.
We also have a call report showing this.
Why would they lie about there not being complaints?
Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/ejktkvxIRo
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) September 17, 2024
One resident said, “I’ve actually had quite a few people contact me here lately. [What they’re saying] is some pretty horrid things occurring with domesticated animals in the neighborhood.”
He went further, saying, “We’ve had some stuff in the park. That, again, [the animals] are being taken advantage of for reasons other than …” before he was cut off by City Manager Bryan Heck who informed him, “There is no proof.”
“We haven’t seen the proof. … I’ve heard about it,” another commission member said.
While the footage above is not of a Haitian grilling Garfield, Muir’s remark to Trump that “there have been no credible reports of specific claims of pets being harmed, injured, or abused by individuals within the immigrant community” is incredibly deceitful and politically motivated.
X users justifiably vented their anger in response to the footage.
Hey @ABC, you see this?
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) September 18, 2024
One went so far as to say “David Muir should be ridiculed for the rest of his life.”
David Muir should be ridiculed for the rest of his life.
— MAZE (@mazemoore) September 18, 2024
Springfield City Manager Brian Heck — as Trump pointed out — is a politician with an agenda. He will determine what is a “credible report” and relay it to ABC News. Obviously, Heck will say there aren’t any to make himself look good.
Apparently, Heck did not consider this testimony from March to be credible — or any other testimony from Springfield residents in the months that followed, for that matter.
The point here is not to get into the weeds and determine whether or not reports in Springfield from city officials are to be trusted when residents are saying something else entirely.
The reader can use their own discretion.
Muir is way out of line. His behavior was unprofessional. ABC spent the night defending Harris and sparing with Trump. Muir isn’t even “fact-checking” given the jury is still very much out.
He was just debating to help Harris.
If ABC were trying to convince viewers they were fair and impartial, they failed completely.
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