ABC sparked controversy after a Scranton, Pennsylvania, affiliate mistakenly aired "test results" showing Vice President Kamala Harris beating former President Donald Trump more than a week before Election Day, the New York Post reported.
The numbers, which appeared during WNEP-TV's broadcast of the Formula 1 Mexico Grand Prix Sunday, showed Harris with 52% of the vote compared to Trump's 47%, with 100% of precincts reporting. The graphic quickly circulated on social media, prompting claims of election tampering.
Independent journalist Kyle Becker posted on X, "'Random.' LOL More like the results they want to see happen. Give us a break."
Reality check posted on X, "Election interference?"
And UnwokeMe posted on X, "Tell me the fix is in without telling me the fix is in. WNEP Scranton just 'accidentally' showed the Pennsylvania results for the 2024 election. ABC News called it a dry run. And who do you think they showed winning Pennsylvania?"
WNEP-TV posted the following statement on its website: "Test results for the upcoming November 5 general election mistakenly appeared on WNEP-TV early Sunday evening during a broadcast of the Formula 1 Mexico Grand Prix.
"Those numbers should not have appeared on the screen, and it was an error by WNEP that they did.
"The numbers seen on the screen were randomly generated test results sent out to help news organizations make sure their equipment is working properly in advance of election night.
"The numbers were not reflective of any actual vote count.
"Pennsylvania law does not allow mail-in ballots to be taken out of their envelopes until 7:00 a.m. on Election Day, and no votes of any kind will be counted in Pennsylvania until after the polls close at 8:00 p.m.
"WNEP regrets the error and apologizes for any confusion. We have taken steps to ensure that it does not happen again."
ABC News is already facing accusations of election bias following last month's presidential debate. Critics have called out the network for fact-checking Trump while not doing the same for Harris, the Post reported.
ABC News has also drawn scrutiny over connections between Harris and Disney executive Dana Walden, who is reportedly a close friend and political supporter, according to the Post.
Trump holds a razor-thin lead in battleground Pennsylvania with six days to go, according to data from RealClearPolitics.
Kate McManus ✉
Kate McManus is a New Jersey-based Newsmax writer who's spent more than two decades as a journalist.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.