As for the reason behind Muir’s sudden dismissal? That’s where things get juicy. Insiders claim it all went down after the recent presidential debate, which saw Muir facing intense criticism for his handling of the event. With both sides of the political spectrum accusing him of bias, and social media being unforgiving as usual, it seems ABC decided it was time to cut ties with their longtime anchor. But how does one of the most recognizable faces in American journalism go from top-of-the-world to jobless in the blink of an eye?

The writing may have been on the wall for David Muir after his disastrous moderation of the 2024 presidential debate. With tensions already running high between the two candidates—Donald Trump and Kamala Harris—Muir found himself in the unenviable position of trying to maintain order. However, things didn’t go according to plan. Both candidates frequently interrupted each other, fact-checks came flying from all directions, and viewers were left feeling like they had tuned into a chaotic reality show instead of a political debate.

Criticism poured in almost immediately after the debate aired. Trump supporters accused Muir of unfairly cutting off the former president, while Harris’s backers slammed him for allowing Trump to steamroll through certain segments. It didn’t help that Muir, attempting to rein in the candidates, often appeared flustered on camera, a stark contrast to his usually calm, composed demeanor. As one viewer tweeted, “David Muir looked like he’d rather be trapped in a burning building than moderating that debate.”ABC, already facing backlash over the debate’s outcome, was reportedly less than thrilled with how Muir handled the event.

The network had banked on Muir’s reputation as a steady, reliable figure in the news industry to steer the debate, but instead, they got a moderator who looked more like he was caught in the middle of a verbal ping-pong match.