Republican Senator Demands ABC News Release Debate Communications with Harris Campaign, Citing ‘Biased Agenda’

Senator Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, has raised concerns over potential bias in last week’s debate moderated by ABC News, accusing the network of favouring Vice President Kamala Harris and targeting former President Donald Trump.

In a letter addressed to ABC News President Almin Karamehmedovic and Harris’ campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodriguez, Marshall called for releasing any communications between the network and the Harris campaign before the debate.

Marshall alleged that ABC’s moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, displayed apparent favouritism toward Harris by fact-checking Trump multiple times during the debate, while Harris faced no similar scrutiny.

The senator described the situation as a “three-on-one” against Trump, echoing complaints from Republicans regarding the debate’s handling.

In the letter, obtained by Fox News Digital and first reported by NewsNation, Marshall expressed concerns over the impartiality of the media, particularly given recent reports suggesting that the Harris campaign may have influenced the debate proceedings.

He urged ABC News to release any emails and texts that could dispel suspicions of advance coordination, stressing the need for transparency to maintain public trust in the media.

Marshall also referenced the relationship between Disney executive Dana Walden, a known donor to Harris and other Democratic candidates, and the Harris campaign, as a potential conflict of interest.

“The American people deserve transparency and accountability,” Marshall wrote, urging ABC to clarify whether there had been any collaboration between the network and the Harris campaign to influence the debate.

While the letter cannot legally compel ABC News to release documents, it calls for a response by September 27.

The network has not yet commented on the matter.

Former President Trump also voiced his frustrations, suggesting at a rally in Las Vegas that Harris may have been given the debate questions ahead of time.

Trump further speculated that Harris wore an earpiece during the debate, though no evidence has been provided to support these claims.

Senator Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a strong ally of Trump, joined in criticizing ABC News for failing to fact-check Harris during the debate.

Cotton pointed out Harris’ inaccurate statement claiming no U.S. military personnel were in active combat zones, which ABC later fact-checked. “This goes beyond bias—it’s a media company effectively joining the Harris campaign,” Cotton stated on social media.

ABC News addressed the inaccuracies in Harris’ statement after the debate, with anchor Martha Raddatz clarifying that there are currently 900 U.S. military personnel stationed in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq, all of whom are regularly under threat from missiles and drones.

Following the debate, Muir responded to the backlash during an interview on “Live With Kelly and Mark.” He downplayed the criticism, stating, “All of the noise you hear afterward about which candidate won the debate or whether the moderators succeeded is just noise. The most important thing to remember is that the viewers have the power.”

Neither the Trump nor Harris campaigns have commented on the allegations or requests for clarification regarding the debate proceedings.