A fact-check that took place during the ABC News presidential debate has recently been proven incorrect after the FBI quietly revised their statistics on violent crime rates in the United States. During the debate, former President Trump raised concerns about the increase in violent crime and used it to criticize the Biden-Harris administration. However, ABC debate moderator David Muir attempted to fact-check Trump by stating that the FBI had reported a decrease in overall violent crime in the country.
Trump immediately disputed this claim, arguing that the FBI’s statements were misleading as they did not include data from the most crime-ridden cities. He also criticized the administration for providing false information about job creation. Interestingly, a recent revision by the FBI revealed that there was actually a 4.5% increase in violent crimes in 2022, contradicting their initial report of a 2.1% decrease.
According to crime and data expert John Lott, this revision translates to an additional 80,029 violent crimes in 2022 compared to the previous year. This includes 1,699 more murders, 7,780 additional rapes, 33,459 more robberies, and 37,091 extra aggravated assaults. Despite these revised statistics, Muir has not addressed the FBI’s correction on “World News Tonight.”
The ABC News debate moderators faced criticism for disproportionately fact-checking Trump while failing to correct Vice President Kamala Harris’s statements. This led to accusations of bias and unfair treatment during the debate. Even NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” writers mocked ABC News for their handling of the debate, highlighting the network’s bias towards the Democrats.
Trump himself has publicly denounced Muir and ABC News, accusing them of violating their agreement with his campaign by fact-checking him during the debate. He claimed that ABC had promised not to offer any corrections during the event, leading to a breach of trust. Despite the backlash, ABC News has not responded to requests for comment on the matter.
In conclusion, the FBI’s quiet revision of violent crime statistics has shed light on the discrepancies in reporting and fact-checking during the ABC News presidential debate. This incident underscores the importance of accurate data and unbiased journalism in political discourse.
