Trump's debate strategy: Label the rules as 'rigged' and discredit the moderators
Trump’s criticisms of ABC exemplify his broader strategy in debates.
TroibNews 
Donald Trump is establishing the groundwork for a “rigged” debate on ABC News ahead of his matchup with Kamala Harris.
Throughout interviews, fundraising appeals, rallies, and social media posts, the former president has consistently criticized the network and its leading personalities for perceived bias against him. He has even alleged, without evidence, that ABC provided questions in advance to the Harris campaign.
“ABC is the worst network in terms of fairness,” Trump stated during a Fox News town hall with Sean Hannity recently. “They’re very nasty, and I think a lot of people are going to be watching to see how nasty and how unfair they are.”
In a fundraising appeal, he asserted, “Do you think ABC will give Kamala every question beforehand? We already know her liberal media cronies would do ANYTHING to keep her from getting embarrassed the same way Biden was! I’m coming into this at a disadvantage — taking on Crooked Kamala AND the Fake News — but with you in my ear, I'm NOT SCARED OF ANYTHING!”
This strategy of portraying himself as facing unfair circumstances, and appealing to his base before a significant event, is a common tactic for Trump — a method he previously employed before his debate with President Joe Biden in June. His recent ramp-up of criticism aimed at ABC is particularly noteworthy, as the network is set to host one of the most highly anticipated events in the 2024 election on Tuesday.
Trump’s attacks on ABC reflect his overall tactical approach to debates, which often involve casting doubt on the fairness of moderators and questioning the integrity of his opponents. By doing this, he appears to be attempting to manage expectations for his own performance while pressuring debate organizers to treat him more favorably. Ultimately, this tactic provides him with an avenue to deflect blame should his performance fall short.
“This is an expectations game,” said former White House press secretary Sean Spicer. “And it's not just your opponent; he has two opponents. He has Kamala Harris, and then he has the network and hosts themselves.”
ABC did not respond to inquiries for comment.
The debate on Tuesday, featuring longtime ABC News World News Tonight anchor David Muir and ABC News Live anchor Linsey Davis, will be the first face-to-face encounter between Trump and Harris at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center.
There were initial doubts about whether either candidate would agree to debate, as Trump raised concerns about the network's fairness, while the Harris campaign expressed resistance to a rule from the prior debate with Trump and Biden about muting the microphones between responses.
Ultimately, the Harris campaign agreed to modifications when ABC confirmed that both microphones would remain on during any intense exchanges and that a “press pool” of reporters would be nearby to capture remarks that may not be picked up by microphones.
On Wednesday night, Trump told Fox News he requested that the debate rules include stipulations to prevent any pre-debate leaks of questions. In 2016, it had been revealed that then-interim DNC chair Donna Brazile had provided Hillary Clinton’s campaign with insights about specific questions for a primary debate.
Trump has also mentioned the connection between Harris and Dana Walden, co-chair of Disney Entertainment, who is a personal friend and contributor to Democrats. However, ABC News has clarified that Walden does not have any editorial influence.
His current offensive mirrors the tactics he used before the first debate in June, where he consistently condemned CNN as biased before the event, labeling moderator Jake Tapper as “Fake Tapper” and suggesting that the network would favor Biden, his then-opponent. After that debate, Trump expressed admiration for both Tapper and co-moderator Dana Bash, acknowledging their fairness, and his aides even praised CNN for refraining from fact-checking during the debate.
Simultaneously, Trump has a history of accusing his rivals of misconduct. Prior to debates with Biden in both 2020 and 2024, Trump insinuated that Biden might be using performance-enhancing drugs, a claim that Biden humorously dismissed before Trump's ultimately troubled performance. Similar accusations were directed against Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Trump's relationship with Muir has been notable; the seasoned anchor has interviewed him multiple times, including in May 2020 during the early months of the pandemic in the U.S. Muir received mixed reviews for his performance during those interviews, with some alleging that his questioning lacked rigor. However, the Poynter Institute described the interview as “tough but fair and not contentious."
In addition to his criticisms, Trump has pursued legal actions against George Stephanopoulos, another senior ABC News anchor he frequently derides on the campaign trail. Earlier this year, Trump filed a lawsuit in a Florida federal court, alleging defamation by Stephanopoulos during a segment on “This Week” with Rep. Nancy Mace. Stephanopoulos had referenced a jury finding Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll; however, a jury did not conclude he was liable for rape. The presiding judge noted that while the jury determined Carroll was raped, New York law has a narrower definition of rape than is commonly understood.
Earlier this summer, Trump also referred to prominent ABC News reporter Rachel Scott as “nasty” and “hostile” during a fiery interview at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago.
“Are you with ABC? Because I think they’re a fake news network, a terrible network. I think it’s disgraceful that I came here in good spirit,” Trump remarked in response to a question regarding why Black voters should trust him.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
Throughout interviews, fundraising appeals, rallies, and social media posts, the former president has consistently criticized the network and its leading personalities for perceived bias against him. He has even alleged, without evidence, that ABC provided questions in advance to the Harris campaign.
“ABC is the worst network in terms of fairness,” Trump stated during a Fox News town hall with Sean Hannity recently. “They’re very nasty, and I think a lot of people are going to be watching to see how nasty and how unfair they are.”
In a fundraising appeal, he asserted, “Do you think ABC will give Kamala every question beforehand? We already know her liberal media cronies would do ANYTHING to keep her from getting embarrassed the same way Biden was! I’m coming into this at a disadvantage — taking on Crooked Kamala AND the Fake News — but with you in my ear, I'm NOT SCARED OF ANYTHING!”
This strategy of portraying himself as facing unfair circumstances, and appealing to his base before a significant event, is a common tactic for Trump — a method he previously employed before his debate with President Joe Biden in June. His recent ramp-up of criticism aimed at ABC is particularly noteworthy, as the network is set to host one of the most highly anticipated events in the 2024 election on Tuesday.
Trump’s attacks on ABC reflect his overall tactical approach to debates, which often involve casting doubt on the fairness of moderators and questioning the integrity of his opponents. By doing this, he appears to be attempting to manage expectations for his own performance while pressuring debate organizers to treat him more favorably. Ultimately, this tactic provides him with an avenue to deflect blame should his performance fall short.
“This is an expectations game,” said former White House press secretary Sean Spicer. “And it's not just your opponent; he has two opponents. He has Kamala Harris, and then he has the network and hosts themselves.”
ABC did not respond to inquiries for comment.
The debate on Tuesday, featuring longtime ABC News World News Tonight anchor David Muir and ABC News Live anchor Linsey Davis, will be the first face-to-face encounter between Trump and Harris at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center.
There were initial doubts about whether either candidate would agree to debate, as Trump raised concerns about the network's fairness, while the Harris campaign expressed resistance to a rule from the prior debate with Trump and Biden about muting the microphones between responses.
Ultimately, the Harris campaign agreed to modifications when ABC confirmed that both microphones would remain on during any intense exchanges and that a “press pool” of reporters would be nearby to capture remarks that may not be picked up by microphones.
On Wednesday night, Trump told Fox News he requested that the debate rules include stipulations to prevent any pre-debate leaks of questions. In 2016, it had been revealed that then-interim DNC chair Donna Brazile had provided Hillary Clinton’s campaign with insights about specific questions for a primary debate.
Trump has also mentioned the connection between Harris and Dana Walden, co-chair of Disney Entertainment, who is a personal friend and contributor to Democrats. However, ABC News has clarified that Walden does not have any editorial influence.
His current offensive mirrors the tactics he used before the first debate in June, where he consistently condemned CNN as biased before the event, labeling moderator Jake Tapper as “Fake Tapper” and suggesting that the network would favor Biden, his then-opponent. After that debate, Trump expressed admiration for both Tapper and co-moderator Dana Bash, acknowledging their fairness, and his aides even praised CNN for refraining from fact-checking during the debate.
Simultaneously, Trump has a history of accusing his rivals of misconduct. Prior to debates with Biden in both 2020 and 2024, Trump insinuated that Biden might be using performance-enhancing drugs, a claim that Biden humorously dismissed before Trump's ultimately troubled performance. Similar accusations were directed against Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Trump's relationship with Muir has been notable; the seasoned anchor has interviewed him multiple times, including in May 2020 during the early months of the pandemic in the U.S. Muir received mixed reviews for his performance during those interviews, with some alleging that his questioning lacked rigor. However, the Poynter Institute described the interview as “tough but fair and not contentious."
In addition to his criticisms, Trump has pursued legal actions against George Stephanopoulos, another senior ABC News anchor he frequently derides on the campaign trail. Earlier this year, Trump filed a lawsuit in a Florida federal court, alleging defamation by Stephanopoulos during a segment on “This Week” with Rep. Nancy Mace. Stephanopoulos had referenced a jury finding Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll; however, a jury did not conclude he was liable for rape. The presiding judge noted that while the jury determined Carroll was raped, New York law has a narrower definition of rape than is commonly understood.
Earlier this summer, Trump also referred to prominent ABC News reporter Rachel Scott as “nasty” and “hostile” during a fiery interview at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago.
“Are you with ABC? Because I think they’re a fake news network, a terrible network. I think it’s disgraceful that I came here in good spirit,” Trump remarked in response to a question regarding why Black voters should trust him.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
