Trump slams ABC News anchor David Muir over debate fact check during pre-inauguration rally: ‘So bad’

President-elect Donald Trump took aim at ABC News “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir during a pre-inauguration rally on Sunday, recalling their clash over crime statistics during the September presidential debate against Vice President Kamala Harris.

Addressing a crowd of supporters, Trump highlighted what he called the “hundreds and even thousands of victims” of migrant attacks, arguing that crime levels were rising even without undocumented immigrants.

He then criticized Muir — who was eviscerated on social media last week for wearing a fire jacket that had a clothespin attached to the rear in order to make him appear more svelte while covering the Los Angeles wildfires — for wrongly fact-checking him during the debate when the Republican claimed violent crime was surging.

President-elect Donald Trump criticized David Muir, ABC News anchor of “World News Tonight,” on Sunday. WILL OLIVER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

“Do you remember I did the debate, and I had David Muir from ABC saying, ‘No, no crime has gone down.’ I said, ‘No, no, it‘s gone through the roof,’” Trump said.

“And then he goes, ‘Uh, I disagree with that.’ The next day they announced that crime was up like 40%. This guy is…the whole thing is so bad.”

Muir, who co-moderated the debate with Linsey Davis, had pushed back against Trump’s claims, citing FBI data showing an overall decrease in violent crime.

Muir has been widely criticized on social media for his Jan. 8 broadcast from the scene of the Los Angeles wildfires. ABC News
Muir wore a yellow fire jacket that had a clothespin attached to the back — apparently to make him appear thinner. ABC News

“President Trump, as you know, the FBI says overall violent crime is coming down in this country,” Muir stated at the time.

Trump dismissed the FBI’s statistics, claiming they omitted data from the worst-hit cities.

“The FBI — they were defrauding statements. They didn’t include the worst cities. They didn’t include the cities with the worst crime. It was a fraud,” he said.

Muir co-moderated the Sept. 10 debate between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. He is seen left alongside Linsey Davis. ABC News

While ABC News did not report an increase in crime the next day, an FBI revision in October supported Trump’s assertion.

The agency initially reported a 2.1% decline in violent crime in 2022 but later revised the data to reflect a 4.5% increase, amounting to 80,029 more violent crimes than in 2021.

Muir did not address the revision on “World News Tonight” after its release, a point Trump and his allies have seized upon.

The Post has sought comment from ABC News.

Trump also slammed Muir for his alleged biased shortly after the debate.

During the debate, Muir and Davis fact-checked Trump several times — prompting accusations of bias. ABC NEWS

“And during the debate, I mentioned that and David Muir, a real lightweight,” Trump said in late September.

“I had one against three, but I think we did great. But David Muir of ABC, fake news, when I said that crime is way up in our country, he corrected me, he corrected me and so much and it was right what I said.”

Trump also claimed that Muir failed to fact-check Harris, alleging she made several inaccurate statements, including on Charlottesville.

Trump is set to take the oath of office on Monday as he is inaugurated as the nation’s 47th president. AP

“But he corrected me on crime. He said, ‘No, no, crime has not gone up.’ I said crime has gone up massively. He said, ‘I’d like to state for the record that crime has not gone up.’”

In late December, Muir’s employer, ABC corporate parent Disney, settled a defamation lawsuit filed by Trump by agreeing to donate $15 million to his future presidential library foundation and covering $1 million in legal fees.

The lawsuit stemmed from ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos’s incorrect on-air statement that Trump had been “found liable for rape,” whereas the jury had found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

Disney’s decision to settle was reportedly fueled by concerns among corporate brass over potential legal risks and the desire to avoid a protracted court battle.