David Muir was not fired by ABC. (Image via John Lamparski/Getty Images)

On Facebook, a rumor started circulating that ABC had fired its two well-known debate moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis. It started when an account called SpaceX fanclub uploaded a post on September 11 and attached an image of the two journalists with a caption:

“ABC Fires Debate Moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis: “They Are a Disgrace to Their Profession.”

Even the photo collage of the two debate moderators stated the same claim as the caption. However, the caption also mentioned that it was a satire post. Additionally, a discreet body of text on the left side of the photo collage cautioned, “Nothing on this page is real. If you believe anything we post, then you are a potato crop.”

Nevertheless, even though the statement looked genuine, the satirical Facebook page claimed that they don’t publish factually correct news. Therefore, it is safe to say that the ABC debate moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis were not fired.

In fact, on September 10, just one day before the fake news started to circulate, Muir and Davis moderated the 90-minute debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in Philadelphia.

ABC debate moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis were not fired, contrary to the rumors

David Muir ended up on Trump’s bad side after the presidential debate. (Image via Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

Recently, claims made regarding the ABC debate moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis on a Facebook page have gone viral. As per the claims, Muir and Davis were fired by the network as they were a “disgrace” to their profession.

A Facebook page, SpaceX Fanclub, had uploaded a post stating the same on September 11. This post had already garnered over 21,000 reactions, over 13,000 comments, and over 5,400 shares at the time of writing this article. However, the Facebook page’s description stated that it dealt with only satire.

On the other hand, the post’s pinned comment stated that the moderators probably had funding from billionaire philanthropist George Soros. The comment further directed the readers to an article on Esspots, a satirical news website.

The article claimed that the anchors were fired following their controversial performance during Tuesday night’s presidential debate. During the debate, they decided to fact-check Trump’s statements and occasionally asked “Kamala Harris a question or two.”

Due to this behavior, Muir and Davis were fired. The satirical piece stated that in a memo, ABC explained its decision to terminate Muir and Davis and wrote:

“Moderators are meant to guide the debate, not embarrass candidates by calling out falsehoods. The American public deserves to hear both sides—truth and fiction—without interference. David Muir and Linsey Davis crossed a line when they decided to turn their role as moderators into that of participant, and that is simply unacceptable.”

Nevertheless, the entire news is a hoax, as denoted by the description of Esspots which states that the website uploads humor, parody, and satirical news.

Every piece of writing, narrative, and analysis on the website was completely made up and intended solely for the amusement of readers. Their website description clarifies:

“Our team of writers and editors is dedicated to bringing you the latest and greatest in fake news and absurdity, all with a healthy dose of humor and satire. On this page, you can expect to find all sorts of hilarious stories and parodies about US politics, culture, and society. From outrageous conspiracy theories to outlandish political stunts, we’ve got it all covered.”

Additionally, there hasn’t been any public announcement or report on Muir and Davis’s firing on any reliable news source. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that ABC did not fire debate moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis.

Nevertheless, the entire rumor reportedly started from the fact that, as per The Daily Beast’s September 12 article, Trump had claimed that the debate moderators had brought “disgrace onto the company”. He also urged the network to fire its entire staff after the debate on September 10.