Mark Penn, a former advisor to the Bill and Hillary Clinton campaigns, says ABC News must launch an investigation into Tuesday’s presidential debate to determine whether employees attempted “rigging the outcome.” The network is facing significant criticism over its handling of the debate between Donald J. Trump and Kamala Harris, in which they frequently interrupted “fact-checked” the former president. On the other hand, Harris was never corrected by the moderators—despite making several false or misleading claims.
“I actually think they should do a full internal investigation, hire an outside law firm. I don’t know how much of this was planned in advance,” Penn said in a recent interview on the John Solomon Reports podcast. “I don’t know what they told the Harris campaign. I think the day after, suspicion here is really quite high, and I think a review of all their internal texts and emails really should be done by an independent party to find out to what extent they were planning on, in effect, you know, fact-checking just one candidate and in effect, rigging the outcome of this debate. I think the situation demands nothing less than that.”
The National Pulse conducted its own fact-check of Kamala Harris, noting at least nine blatant false statements made by the 2024 Democratic Party presidential nominee. In addition, it was revealed shortly before the debate that Kamala Harris has maintained a close friendship with ABC News executive Dana Walden for at least 30 years.
show less
Mark Penn, a former advisor to the Bill and Hillary Clinton campaigns, says ABC News must launch an investigation into Tuesday's presidential debate to determine whether employees attempted "rigging the outcome." The network is facing significant criticism over its handling of the debate between Donald J. Trump and Kamala Harris, in which they frequently interrupted "fact-checked" the former president. On the other hand, Harris was never corrected by the moderators—despite making several false or misleading claims.
show more
Foreign media outlets are spinning hard for Kamala Harris following her debate against Donald Trump on Tuesday, feeding a narrative that she “got under his skin” and rubbishing his remarks about Haitian migrants killing pets in Ohio—an emphasis that could come back to haunt them if the allegations are substantiated. However, many conceded ABC News skewed the debate and that Harris did not outline a clear vision. There are also signs her pro-Israel remarks alienated Muslim voters key to winning swing states such as Michigan.
MOTHER COUNTRY.
Britain’s Telegraph, a notionally right-wing broadsheet, damned Harris with faint praise, with U.S. editor Tony Diver claiming she “made [Trump] look ridiculous” but “gave woolly and unclear answers on questions about the economy, and could not convincingly shrug off accusations from both Trump and the moderator that she has abandoned many of her beliefs in favour of the pursuit of power.”
Telegraph columnist Tim Stanley, who has long advocated for censoring Trump online, described the debate as a case of “he was crazy and she was insufferable,” giving a “narrow win” to the former president overall.
Telegraph readers gave Harris a slight edge, at 56 percent, but—like Stanley—suggested the ABC moderators tipped the scales in favor of the Vice President. “[T]he moderators were doing the debating for Harris,” said one.
The Daily Mail commissioned a poll of 800 independents, with 49 percent saying Harris won the debate against 43 percent who gave the nod to Trump. However, Harris only gained two points in terms of voting intention, rising from 36 percent to 38 percent. Trump also rose, from 44 percent to 45 percent.
‘SUPPORTING GENOCIDE.’
Qatar-owned Al Jazeera interviewed a number of “experts” post-debate. Predictably, none of the mostly left-leaning observers gave a clear advantage to Trump, but support for Harris was not effusive. Barbara Perry of the University of Virginia merely said, “At the very least, she didn’t put [undecided, moderate] voters off or make any disqualifying gaffes.”
However, in a sign of trouble for Harris in swing states, she received criticism for her stance on the Israel-Hamas war. “Vice President Harris has been pretty clear in previous statements, as she was tonight, that she will continue Biden’s policy of unconditional military and financial support for Israel’s war on Gaza,” said Reem Abuelhaj, of the No Ceasefire No Vote organization, referencing voters who feel “unable to cast their ballot for a candidate who is actively supporting genocide.”
Oh man they’re gonna pump Michigan with that clip of her saying she loves Israel 4eva https://t.co/QSEA78VLP1
SBS News, owned by the Australian state, said Harris won the debate—citing a CNN poll—and insisted, like many media outlets, that the Vice President got “under Trump’s skin.” However, the state media organ could not help but betray its clear bias, asserting Trump has “spent weeks insulting [Harris] with racist and sexist attacks.”
Sky News Australia, which leans right, stressed the bias of the ABC moderators. “I didn’t know whether I was watching Trump versus Kamala Harris or if I was watching Trump versus the ABC and Kamala Harris,” said one host. “Every single time they could, they gave her an assist.”
DO-OVER.
While many foreign media outlets claim the Harris camp expressing its willingness to do a second debate in October shows they are confident she won on Tuesday, Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-Chief of The National Pulse, believes it shows they want a do-over.
Previously, ABC—which has a 100 percent positive spin score for Harris—was the only venue the Vice President’s team was willing to accept for a debate, with Fox News and even NBC rejected.
show less
Foreign media outlets are spinning hard for Kamala Harris following her debate against Donald Trump on Tuesday, feeding a narrative that she "got under his skin" and rubbishing his remarks about Haitian migrants killing pets in Ohio—an emphasis that could come back to haunt them if the allegations are substantiated. However, many conceded ABC News skewed the debate and that Harris did not outline a clear vision. There are also signs her pro-Israel remarks alienated Muslim voters key to winning swing states such as Michigan.
show more
New polling data from Rasmussen Reports reveals which demographic groups expect Kamala Harris to win tonight’s debate against President Donald J. Trump, live on ABC News at 9pm EST.
Of the totals surveyed, a whopping 83 percent say they are likely or very likely to tune into the debate, making it one of the most-watched political spectacles in years.
Forty-two percent of total likely voters expect Kamala to emerge victorious, with 44 percent preferring Trump’s chances. Of those top lines, the breakdowns are as follows:
38% of men say Kamala will win, 47% say Trump. 14% are undecided;
46% of women say Kamala will win, 41% say Trump. 13% are undecided;
45% of 18-39 year olds fancy Kamala, with 41% picking Trump. 14% are undecided;
40% of 40-64 year olds pick Kamala. 47% pick Trump. 13% are undecided.
44% of those over 65 say Kamala will emerge the victor. 41% say Trump. 15% undecided;
39% of white people pick Kamala, 48% pick Trump. 13% are undecided.
64% of black people pick Kamala. 23% pick Trump. 13% are undecided.
40% of hispanics say Kamala. 43% say Trump. 17% are undecided.
The party line splits are fairly predictable: 80 percent of Democrats picked Kamala, 81 percent of Republicans picked Trump, and the rest are undecided.
New polling data from Rasmussen Reports reveals which demographic groups expect Kamala Harris to win tonight's debate against President Donald J. Trump, live on ABC News at 9pm EST.
show more
Editor’s Notes
Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will face off tonight in their first (and likely only) presidential debate.
The logistics: Tonight’s debate is hosted by ABC News and broadcast live from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at 9 PM ET.
The moderators are David Muir and Linsey Davis.
The event will last 90 minutes.
The rules: Despite desperate attempts by the Kamala campaign to change the rules at the last minute, this debate format will abide by the original agreement, which includes:
Both candidates must stand.
No pre-written notes allowed.
Muting mics of candidates not speaking.
No live audience.
Different debate prep styles: The NY Times reports that Kamala has been conducting “highly choreographed” debate prep on a mock debate stage with staffers dressed up as Donald Trump. Trump, on the other hand, is opting for more informal debate prep, with his staff peppering him with questions as he goes about his normal schedule.
Notably, Tulsi Gabbard, who embarrassed Kamala on the debate stage in 2020, has been very involved in Trump’s debate prep.
What Trump wants: Trump wants to focus on Kamala’s “dangerously liberal” record (eliminating private health insurance, decriminalizing illegal immigration, ending fracking) and tie her to the failures of the Biden regime [open borders, inflation, woke policies in schools].
What Kamala wants: Expect two areas of focus for Kamala. She’ll likely try to distance herself from many of Biden’s failed policies. And she’ll attempt to coerce Trump into becoming combative so that the focus is on his temperament rather than policy.
What can we expect from ABC News? Bias. An analysis from the Media Research Center looked at all ABC News coverage since Kamala replaced Biden on July 21 and found its reporting on her was 100 percent positive versus just seven percent positive reporting on Trump.
Big picture: Americans know who Trump is. He engages with the media on both sides of the political aisle. Kamala, on the other hand, has only sat down for one interview since replacing Joe Biden. And a recent poll found that 28 percent of voters say they need to know more about her, compared to just 9 percent for Trump. So, the primary goal of tonight’s debate for both candidates is to define what Kamala Harris represents.
A Media Research Center (MRC) analysis reveals that ABC, set to host the debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on Tuesday, is more pro-Harris than any comparable evening newscast and overwhelmingly negative towards Trump. Analysts reviewed 100 World News Tonight campaign reports aired from July 21, when Harris declared her candidacy, to September 6, finding Harris received 25 distinctly positive comments and no negative remarks from ABC’s reporters, anchors, or non-partisan sources—a 100 percent positive spin rate.
Trump’s ABC coverage included only five positive comments against 66 negative statements, giving him a 7 percent positive and 93 percent negative spin score. CBS and NBC also strongly favored Harris, with CBS’s coverage being 94 percent positive and NBC’s 71 percent. Trump’s coverage at CBS and NBC was 77 percent and 86 percent negative, respectively. Still, neither was as uniformly positive for Harris as ABC.
ABC did not label Harris as “liberal” or “progressive” even once. This is despite the fact she once rated as the most liberal senator in Congress, ahead of even Bernie Sanders, and has backed far-left policies such as decriminalizing illegal border crossings.
ABC consistently highlighted Trump’s controversies but downplayed negative stories related to Harris. For example, it did not report on an adulteryincident involving Harris’s husband that was mentioned, albeit briefly, by CBS and NBC.
David Muir, a moderator of the Trump-Harris debate, is the managing editor of World News Tonight.
Trump describes ABC as “by far the nastiest and most unfair newscaster in the business.” However, it is the only network Harris has agreed to debate on, refusing Fox News and, so far, even NBC.
ABC executive Dana Walden and her husband are close personal friends of Harris and her husband. Harris has previously said the Waldens, who have been donating to her since 2003, are “In many ways… responsible for my marriage.”
A Media Research Center (MRC) analysis reveals that ABC, set to host the debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on Tuesday, is more pro-Harris than any comparable evening newscast and overwhelmingly negative towards Trump. Analysts reviewed 100 World News Tonight campaign reports aired from July 21, when Harris declared her candidacy, to September 6, finding Harris received 25 distinctly positive comments and no negative remarks from ABC’s reporters, anchors, or non-partisan sources—a 100 percent positive spin rate.
show more
President Donald Trump criticized ABC and its executives during a Fox News town hall with Sean Hannity last night, asserting that Kamala Harris and network chief Dana Walden have a 30-year-long friendship and whose spouses are also best friends. The New York Times confirmed the allegation last month, reporting:
The executive, Dana Walden, first met Kamala Harris in 1994. Their husbands, Matt Walden and Doug Emhoff have known each other since the 1980s. The Waldens — “extraordinary friends,” per the vice president — have donated money to Ms. Harris’s political campaigns since at least 2003, when she ran for district attorney in San Francisco.
Trump’s remarks come ahead of a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, which ABC News will host on September 10.
The National Pulse can reveal the Waldens have donated millions to Democrats over the past several election cycles in the United States, giving to Kamala Harris, as well as Gavin Newsom, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden, and many more.
“Her husband’s best friend is married to the head of the network, and they’re going to get the questions I’ve already heard,” he said, adding, “They’re going to get the questions in advance.”
“In many ways, Dana and Matt are responsible for my marriage,” Harris told a group of donors in 2022.
In July, establishment news outlet Puck even ran the headline ‘Harris-Walden ’24’ – claiming, “if there’s a Hollywood winner in her ascension it’s probably Dana Walden, the Disney TV chief. Walden and her husband, Matt, go back years with Harris. Along with producer Reggie Hudlin and his wife Chrisette, they’re maybe the closest to Harris and her L.A. entertainment lawyer husband, Doug Emhoff, according to a couple Dem insiders I polled.”
Such a glaring conflict of interest would usually have repercussions in a hotly-contested presidential election, but ABC has swept away the claims, asserting Walden simply has nothing to do with editorial decisions around news. This is despite a press release from 2022, when she took the role, which states:
The Walt Disney Company has named Dana Walden as Chairman, Disney General Entertainment Content, it was announced today by Bob Chapek, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. In this role, Walden will lead the company’s general entertainment content engine that creates original entertainment and news programming for Disney’s streaming platforms and its cable and broadcast networks. She will have oversight of ABC Entertainment, ABC News, Disney Branded Television, Disney Television Studios, Freeform, FX, Hulu Originals, National Geographic Content, and Onyx Collective. Walden previously served as Chairman, Entertainment, Walt Disney Television and succeeds Peter Rice, who is leaving the Company.
show less
President Donald Trump criticized ABC and its executives during a Fox News town hall with Sean Hannity last night, asserting that Kamala Harris and network chief Dana Walden have a 30-year-long friendship and whose spouses are also best friends. The New York Times confirmed the allegation last month, reporting:
show more
Former President Donald J. Trump has announced that he and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris have agreed to participate in a debate on ABC on September 10. Trump indicates that the rules will be the same as those for the CNN debate he had with President Joe Biden.
Trump announced the move on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Tuesday afternoon. He referred to ABC as “by far the nastiest and most unfair newscaster in the business.” In late July, the former President got into a heated exchange with the broadcast network’s Rachel Scott at the 2024 National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention—with Trump referring to ABC as a “fake news” network.
According to Trump, both he and Harris will stand for the debate, and neither candidate will be allowed to bring notes or have access to questions before the debate. Harris and her campaign team had previously demanded a sit-down debate and wanted access to notes.
Trump added that Harris has yet to agree to the proposed September 4 debate on Fox News nor a possible third debate with NBC.
The debate will be Trump’s first withHarris and a major test for the Democratic Party nominee, who has been avoiding media interviews for weeks. Harris is still looking to build an edge against Trump in the polls following a lackluster performance at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago earlier this month. Voter surveys following the DNC suggest that Harris may be in trouble as she received little to no bump from the convention and that Trump has taken the lead in the polls.
READ:
show less
Former President Donald J. Trump has announced that he and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris have agreed to participate in a debate on ABC on September 10. Trump indicates that the rules will be the same as those for the CNN debate he had with President Joe Biden.show more
Kamala Harris is seeking to change the terms of her ABC debate with former President Donald J. Trump, with the America First leader’s camp saying her team wanted a sit-down debate with opening statements and notes. Harris has already backed out of a debate on the less-friendly Fox News network in front of a “full arena audience.”
Harris’s camp is currently quibbling over whether or not microphones should remain “hot” while the rival candidates are not speaking. Trump, who asked for hot mics in 2020, agreed to muted mics and no audience for the upcoming ABC debate and his previous CNN debate against Joe Biden—with the Democrats being the ones who put forward these demands. Now, Harris’s team is asking for mics to be left hot on ABC after all and criticizing Trump for declining to reopen the negotiations—to distract from the fact Harris has been demanding even more favorable terms than Biden.
“Enough with the games. We accepted the ABC debate under the exact same terms as the CNN debate. The Harris camp, after having already agreed to the CNN rules, asked for a seated debate, with notes, and opening statements. We said no changes to the agreed upon rules,” said Jason Miller, senior adviser to President Trump.
“If Kamala Harris isn’t smart enough to repeat the messaging points her handlers want her to memorize, that’s their problem,” Miller continued.
“This seems to be a pattern for the Harris campaign. They won’t allow Harris to do interviews, they won’t allow her to do press conferences, and now they want to give her a cheat-sheet for the debate. My guess is that they’re looking for a way to get out of any debate with President Trump,” he concluded.
Kamala Harris is seeking to change the terms of her ABC debate with former President Donald J. Trump, with the America First leader's camp saying her team wanted a sit-down debate with opening statements and notes. Harris has already backed out of a debate on the less-friendly Fox News network in front of a "full arena audience."
show more
The corporatemedia largely ignored a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announcement that the Biden-Harrisgovernment created far fewer jobs than initially reported over the last 12 months. On Wednesday morning, the BLS—a government agency that provides detailed analysis of U.S. employment data—revised downward the number of jobs added to the U.S. economy by 818,000, the single largest revision in 15 years.
Despite the historic and economically concerning announcement, the news—considered damaging to Kamala Harris‘s 2024 presidential campaign—did not feature on two of the three major broadcast news networks’ evening programming. Among NBC, CBS, and ABC, only the last included the revision announcement in a brief mention during its World News Tonight program. Most broadcast networks opted to provide wall-to-wall coverage of the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC).
NINETEEN SECONDS OF COVERAGE.
ABC World News Tonight anchor David Muir‘s report—lasting just 19 seconds—stated: “Newly revised jobsdata showing the jobs market hasn’t been as hot as it seemed. 818,000 fewer jobs were added during the 12 months that ended in March than previously reported. This puts more pressure on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, potentially by half a percentage point next month, which could, of course, lower car loans, mortgages, and credit card rates.”
Later in the evening, the BLS revisions were mentioned a second time on ABC News Live, the network’s free live-streaming channel. The Biden-Harris government’s Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, was asked if she believes the new jobs numbers “could be a liability” for the Democratic nominee after former President Donald J. Trump hammered Harris on the revisions earlier in the day.
“First of all, I don’t believe it because I’ve never heard Donald Trump say anything truthful,” Raimondo responded, with the exasperated reporter pushing back: “It is, though, from the Bureau of Labor.”
“I’m not familiar with that,” a visibly confused and flustered Raimdo replied.
WATCH:
Harris-Biden Commerce Sec. Gina Raimondo says she doesn’t believe new government data that shows almost a million of the jobs the Harris-Biden admin claimed to have “created” don’t actually exist.
The corporatemedia largely ignored a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announcement that the Biden-Harris government created far fewer jobs than initially reported over the last 12 months. On Wednesday morning, the BLS—a government agency that provides detailed analysis of U.S. employment data—revised downward the number of jobs added to the U.S. economy by 818,000, the single largest revision in 15 years.
show more
Former President Donald J. Trump addressed the 2024 National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention in Chicago, Illinois, joining a panel of interviews including ABC News‘s Rachel Scott, Fox News‘s Harris Faulkner, and Semafor‘s Kadia Goba. The discussion began with a lengthy and testy exchange between Scott and Trump, where the ABC News correspondent attacked Trump over attending the event and accused him of being demeaning to black Americans.
The Republican President fired back, calling ABC News a “fake news” network. “I’ve done so much for the black population of this country,” Trump said before listing off his administration’s accomplishments: “Including employment, including opportunity zones with Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina—which is one of the greatest programs ever for black workers and black entrepreneurs.”
“I’ve done so much, and you know, I say this: historically black colleges and universities were out of money. They were stone-cold broke, and I saved them, and I gave them long-term financing, and nobody else was doing it,” he added to sporadic applause. While Scott and Trump were spared throughout the hour-long panel discussion, Trump also fielded less charged and argumentative questions from Faulkner and Goba.
Earlier this week, Karen Attiah, the Global Opinions editor and columnist for The Washington Post, resigned as the co-chair of the NABJ convention in response to former President Trump‘s invitation to speak. “I have decided to step down as co-chair from this year’s #NABJ24 convention in Chicago,” Attiah said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). She added: “To the journalists interviewing Trump, I wish them the best of luck. For everyone else, I’m looking forward to meeting and reconnecting with all of you in the Windy City.”
Following the event, she posted on X: “I am so angry right now. N.A.B.J., this was a colossal mistake.”
show less
Former President Donald J. Trump addressed the 2024 National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention in Chicago, Illinois, joining a panel of interviews including ABC News's Rachel Scott, Fox News's Harris Faulkner, and Semafor's Kadia Goba. The discussion began with a lengthy and testy exchange between Scott and Trump, where the ABC News correspondent attacked Trump over attending the event and accused him of being demeaning to black Americans.
show more
Editor’s Notes
Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.
It just goes to show that when you let Trump be Trump, it might not be the prettiest thing in the world (especially at the beginning), but he really knows how to handle these chumps
It just goes to show that when you let Trump be Trump, it might not be the prettiest thing in the world (especially at the beginning), but he really knows how to handle these chumps show more
FacebookTwitterWhatsappTruthTelegramGettrCopy Link
Real News Fan? Show It!
Many people are shocked to learn that because of active censorship, we currently have to spend more time making sure you can even see The National Pulse, than on producing the news itself. Which sucks. Because we do this for the truth, and for you.
But the regime doesn’t want you being informed. That’s why they want us to go away. And that will happen if more people don’t sign up to support our work. It’s basic supply and demand. So demand you get to read The National Pulse, unrestricted. Sign up, today.
We don’t sell ads, and refuse corporate or political cash. It all comes down to you, the reader. I hope you can help.
