Trump Insults ABC Moderator’s Hair in Arizona Rally, Calls for His Firing
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
At an Arizona rally on Thursday, former President Donald Trump took aim at ABC News debate moderator David Muir, but his attack on the journalist fell short of his usual insults. “His hair’s not as good as it used to be,” Trump remarked to the audience, drawing some laughs but lacking his trademark sharpness.
This isn’t the first time Muir’s appearance has been the focus of post-debate commentary. Comedian Jon Stewart had a different take during his live recap of the debate, praising Muir’s looks in a tongue-in-cheek manner. “As per tradition in American politics, the first question always asked by the most handsome person in a 10-15 mile radius,” Stewart quipped. He even donned sunglasses, jokingly lowering them to admire Muir, saying, “Oh, yeah.”
At his rally, Trump also claimed he would no longer watch ABC News, suggesting he had been following something other than his typical Fox News or Newsmax channels. “I’m not gonna watch him anymore. I’m not gonna watch him because he’s not legit,” Trump declared, receiving applause from the crowd.
Muir, who has built a solid career as a journalist, started his path at the Institute on Political Journalism and gained recognition as a war correspondent in Israel and Gaza, covering pivotal moments like the 1995 assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. His journalistic credentials didn’t stop Trump from criticizing his debate performance, though.
In addition to mocking Muir’s appearance, Trump demanded that ABC fire both debate moderators, including Linsey Davis, though he struggled to recall her name. “A couple more years, they’ll be fired. And she was nasty and looked at me with hatred in her eyes,” Trump claimed.
The incident echoed a previous debate in which Trump lashed out at then-Fox News host Megyn Kelly, infamously stating she had “blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever.” Throughout the debate, Davis fact-checked Trump, but Muir took a more direct approach, frequently challenging Trump’s statements. At one point, Muir even argued with Trump over a bizarre claim involving an immigrant allegedly eating a man’s dog.
Trump’s rally remarks come as he continues to criticize the media, especially those who question his claims or challenge his narrative. His attacks on Muir and Davis highlight his ongoing frustration with journalists who fact-check him during high-profile events like debates.
