As the September 10 presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris draws near, questions are being raised about potential bias, given that ABC News is hosting the event under the oversight of Dana Walden—a close friend of Harris and a Biden appointee. Walden’s ties to Harris, which include introducing her to her husband, Doug Emhoff, have led some to question whether the debate can be conducted fairly.
Walden and Harris’s friendship spans decades, with the two first meeting in the 1990s. The Waldens have been active supporters of Harris’s political career, regularly contributing to her campaigns and hosting fundraisers. Harris has publicly acknowledged their friendship, calling them “extraordinary friends,” and even joking at a 2022 fundraiser that the Waldens were responsible for her marriage.
While ABC News insists that Walden’s role is strictly corporate, focusing on staffing and budgets, critics argue that her close relationship with Harris and recent contributions to the Biden-Harris campaign could influence the event’s impartiality. Reports that Harris’s campaign has requested changes to the debate format, such as a seated setting and the use of notes, have only intensified these concerns.
Walden’s position on the President’s Export Council, where she serves as an advisor on international trade, further complicates matters. With Trump’s team wary of potential bias and the Harris campaign denying that they sought any rule changes, the stage is set for a highly contentious debate both on and off the screen.
