POLITICS
Who is David Muir? Get to know the ABC News journalist: Education, awards, reporting
The ABC journalist is the co-host of Tuesday’s proceedings for what is set to be the most hyped event of the political calendar so far.
Donald Trump versus Kamala Harris has been long awaited since Harris announced she would be stepping up to replace her boss, President Joe Biden. The last presidential debate, which was hosted back in June, effectively ended Biden’s reelection bid despite his campaign limpin on for weeks afterwards. Trump will be hoping he can lay another hammer blow on the Democrats in what is proving to be an exceptionally tight race if polling is to be believed.
This situation makes effective moderation of Tuesday’s debate critical. ABC, hosts of the event, have nominated veteran journalists Linsey Davis and David Muir. Based on their careers so far, the debate is in safe hands.
Who is David Muir?
David Muir is best known for his role as the anchor and managing editor of ABC World News Tonight. He also serves as the co-anchor of the ABC News magazine 20/20. He graduated magna cum laude from Ithaca College in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and furthered his education at the Institute on Political Journalism at Georgetown University and the University of Salamanca in Spain.
Muir joined ABC News in 2003, initially anchoring the overnight news program World News Now. His career quickly progressed; he became the weekend anchor for World News in 2007 and was promoted to co-anchor of 20/20 in 2013. Muir’s reporting has taken him to numerous international hotspots, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and Ukraine, where he has covered significant events and humanitarian crises.
More about the debate
Muir is also known for his exclusive interviews with world leaders. He was the first American anchor to interview Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has conducted interviews with former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. His ability to engage with significant figures in politics and global affairs has made him a key player in contemporary journalism, hence his appointment on Tuesday.
Throughout his career, Muir has received numerous accolades for his work. He has won multiple Emmy Awards and Edward R. Murrow Awards, and in 2024, he received the prestigious Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism. His reporting on climate change earned him the George Polk Award and the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award.