ABC Breaks Debate Rules in Favor of Kamala Harris During Clash on Abortion

ABC News didn’t even make it 30 minutes into Tuesday night's presidential debate before breaking its own rules, allowing Vice President Kamala Harris to interrupt former President Donald Trump during a heated exchange over abortion. The incident has drawn intense criticism, especially from conservatives, who accused the network of tilting the scales in Harris’ favor.

The exchange began with Trump explaining his position on the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, emphasizing that the Supreme Court’s decision rightly returned the issue of abortion to the states, where voters can decide. Harris, in contrast, pledged to reinstate Roe v. Wade through federal legislation if she were elected and Congress passed the law.

For a moment, Trump and Harris stuck to the agreed debate rules, which required each candidate’s mic to be muted during the other’s speaking time. Trump listened respectfully as Harris made her points. But the gloves came off when Harris falsely claimed that Trump would sign a national abortion ban.

“There she goes again. It’s a lie,” Trump said. “I’m not signing a ban, and there’s no reason to sign a ban because we’ve gotten what everybody wanted.” Trump’s clarification was met with zero response from Harris on where she personally stood on abortion restrictions.

When Trump pressed the moderators to ask Harris if she would support late-term abortion, Harris dismissively responded, “Come on,” and began talking over Trump’s answer with her microphone still live. The rules clearly stated that both candidates’ microphones would be muted while the other was speaking, but this courtesy was evidently only extended to Harris.

Here’s why this moment matters:

• ABC’s rule-breaking: Despite the debate rules both campaigns agreed to, Harris was allowed to interrupt Trump without her microphone being cut.

• Harris dodges on abortion limits: Harris avoided directly answering if she would support restrictions on abortions in the third trimester, leaving viewers without a clear stance.

• Viewers react: Social media erupted with frustration, with many viewers calling out the network for obvious bias. “Why is only Trump’s mic muted? Americans are noticing,” one person wrote. Another added, “Why isn’t Kamala’s mic muted and you’re allowing her to talk over Trump during his time?! Not surprised.”

This isn’t the first time Trump has been forced to face a debate stage stacked against him. From unfair moderators to lopsided fact-checking, the former president has long dealt with media bias. Tuesday night’s debate was no exception, as Harris was not held to the same standards. While Trump has always been prepared for tough questions, Harris seemed to rely on interruptions and evasions to skirt the difficult questions about her extreme abortion stance.

This blatant rule-breaking only further underscores the lengths to which the media will go to protect weak Democratic candidates. Harris, who still hasn’t clarified her position on late-term abortion, is clearly hoping the media will continue running interference for her.

The American people, however, deserve better. A fair debate is essential to democracy, and candidates—regardless of party—should be held to the same standards. As more people express outrage over the bias seen in Tuesday’s debate, the real question becomes: will ABC face any consequences, or will the media continue playing favorites?

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