Univision says it will not live fact check candidates during Harris, Trump town halls

Univision will not fact check Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump on stage during their respective town halls, the Spanish language network confirmed to CNN.

Univision will not fact check Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump on stage during their respective town halls, the Spanish language network confirmed to CNN. The two town halls, on October 10 and October 16, will be moderated by Enrique Acevedo, the Mexico-based anchor of parent company Televisa’s flagship nightly newscast “En Punto.” Acevedo, who was criticized by many last year for what was considered by critics to be a “soft” interview with Trump, has become the marquee face of the Mexican broadcaster, which merged with Univision two years ago. “He will be a guardian of time, keep the rhythms, and highlight the questioners,” Univision said in a statement. Instead, the network plans to fact check the candidates following the broadcasts and during an October 17 special on both town halls called “Después de las respuestas,” or “After the answers.” While the network is publicly stating there will be no live fact checks of the candidates, it is possible that Acevedo will quickly correct the record on stage, a person familiar with the situation said. A TelevisaUnivision spokesperson told CNN the fact checking decision was not a condition for any candidate’s participation. Fact checking has become a major sticking point during the 2024 election, with both Trump and his running-mate Sen. J.D. Vance complaining about fact checks during debates, arguing that the moderators are ganging up on Republicans for pointing out falsehoods.