Gayle King Sent ABC News Debate Moderators a Note After the Broadcast: ‘It’s Always Very Difficult’ (Exclusive)

The veteran journalist says she thought David Muir and Linsey Davis did "great" moderating the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump

Gayle King is expressing admiration for fellow broadcast journalists David Muir and Linsey Davis over their moderation of the Sept. 10 presidential debate on ABC News.

The CBS Mornings host — who co-moderated the South Carolina Democratic primary debate in 2020 — spoke exclusively to PEOPLE at InStyle's 30th birthday event, praising the recent ABC News moderators for how they handled the back and forth between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

"I thought they did a great job, David and Linsey. I sent them both a note because I remember I have done it before and I thought it was like herding cats," King, 69, says.

"Now, granted, we had more candidates and we have a studio audience which makes a difference, but they had the two of them and I thought they were great with the way they did the follow-ups and the questions that they asked. I thought they did great."

Related: Presidential Debate Full Recap: Harris Calls for Second Face-Off After Holding Firm Against Trump's Attacks

King tells PEOPLE that the hardest component of serving as a moderator is that you "want to give both candidates equal time."

She continues: "And I thought they did. As a matter of fact, I heard that they had done the minute-by-minute and Donald Trump got five minutes more than Kamala Harris did."

King adds that you also "want to be fair" as a moderator, saying, "You want to make sure that each candidate gets a chance to express their opinion in the allotted time. It’s always very difficult."

Related: Kamala Harris Extends Her Hand to Donald Trump in Viral Moment from Their First-Ever Meeting at Presidential Debate

The ABC News presidential debate on Sept. 10 marked the first time Trump, 78, had ever met Harris, 59, in person.

During the debate, candidates answered questions about healthcare, foreign policy, the economy, the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade and Project 2025.

According to CNN, Trump made more than 30 false claims during the debate, ranging from conspiracy theories regarding immigrants “eating pets" and that Democrats “have abortion in the ninth month."

Related: Donald Trump Says He Will Not Debate Kamala Harris Again: 'Polls Clearly Show That I Won'

Following the debate, Harris' campaign called for a rematch. Trump, however, declined the challenge, falsely claiming: "Polls clearly show that I won."

Their running mates, Tim Walz and J.D. Vance, will participate in a vice presidential debate on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

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