Ex-Clinton Adviser Mark Penn Urges ABC News to Investigate Debate Bias

— Mark Penn, a former top adviser to Bill and Hillary Clinton, has called for ABC News to conduct an internal investigation into potential bias in their handling of the recent presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Key points:

• Penn urged ABC to launch a formal internal investigation into the planning and execution of the debate.
• He suggested hiring an outside law firm to review internal texts and emails to determine if there was an effort to “rig the outcome of this debate.”
• Penn expressed concern that ABC moderators appeared to fact-check only Trump while allowing Harris to make unchallenged claims.
• He stated that “suspicion is really quite high” regarding potential bias in the debate moderation.

The call for an investigation comes amid criticism from various sources that ABC’s moderators were unfairly aggressive towards Trump while giving Harris easier treatment. Some critics, including former debate moderator Megyn Kelly, called the debate “one of the most biased, unfair debates” they had seen.

Trump himself complained that the debate was “three-on-one” and declined to participate in future debates.

Penn co-authored an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal criticizing ABC’s approach (link), stating that the moderators appeared to have “decided in advance” to fact-check Trump but not Harris.

ABC News has faced backlash from both Republicans and some Democrats for the perceived imbalance in their debate moderation. This controversy highlights ongoing concerns about media bias and the challenge of ensuring fair treatment of candidates in presidential debates.