ABC News debate moderator Linsey Davis endures racist, sexist abuse on social media for fact-checking Trump

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

ABC News anchor Linsey Davis was subjected to vile racist and sexist abuse online after she fact-checked former president Donald Trump while moderating Tuesday night’s debate.

In what marked the very first time the former president and Vice President Kamala Harris had ever found themselves in the same room, the two presidential candidates went head-to-head on the debate stage in Philadelphia.

Throughout the almost two-hour-long event, Trump repeated a string of wild, debunked claims ranging from abortion to a bizarre falsehood that migrants are eating pet dogs and cats in Ohio.

At one point, Davis corrected the former president when he falsely stated that some states allow for the “execution” of babies after they are born.

“There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it’s born,” Davis told Trump.

On X, internet trolls and Trump supporters lashed out at Davis.

While conservatives on the platform accused both Davis and her co-moderator David Muir of being biased and favoring Harris throughout the debate, Davis was especifically targeted with racist and sexist posts.

One X user called Davis an “idiot DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] moderator” – an acronym that conservatives have used to make racist attacks on people and undermine their position.

Another user on the platform told ABC News to “puta muzzle on your chick moderator” – a sexist remark referencing Davis.

Terms like “nasty woman”, “b****”, and other derogatory comments circulated about Davis on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter and currently owned by Elon Musk.

Other social media users resorted to vile racial slurs in their attacks on Davis, who is a woman of color.

Meanwhile, an X account with more than 100,000 followers posted a photo of Davis – and not Muir – asking people to: “Raise your hand if you think the ABC moderators for this Presidential Debate are biased against Donald Trump.”

Many others were quick to praise the two moderators for preventing Trump from spreading blatant lies as they live fact-checked him throughout the evening.

“The debate tonight was the best debate I have seen in years. @ABC well done,” wrote one X user.

Another praised Davis specifically, saying: “Y’all better put some respect on ABC Linsey Davis’ name. lol”

Another said they were “excellent moderators.”

Trump allies, by contrast, felt it was unfair the two ABC News anchors were permitted to fact check Trump, believing the former president was debating “three on one” – something Trump himself stated on Truth Social after the debate. 

During the first presidential debate between Trump and President Joe Biden back in June, CNN was heavily criticised on social media for not fact-checking the candidates and allowing the former president to assert falsehoods without question.

“The biggest loser of this debate? @CNN. How do you allow lies to be told and not correct them for everyone watching?” one X user wrote at the time.