Muir is consistently well-groomed, a quality that has attracted both criticism and a dedicated fanbase. His appearance has become a popular topic on TikTok, where users frequently share clips highlighting his polished looks, affectionately dubbing him “Daddy.” Muir is aware of this playful moniker. In a May 2025 interview with People, he addressed the nickname with humor. “People send me TikTok videos, mostly to laugh and tease, asking, ‘When did you become Daddy?’” he remarked.

Embracing the attention, Muir joked, “I’m not sure if it’s because I hit 50, but I’ll take it as a compliment, I suppose… Maybe I don’t fully get it, but it’s better to be called Daddy than the alternative,” he chuckled. While many admire Muir, his confidence has occasionally drawn criticism.

In January 2025, during coverage of the devastating Southern California wildfires, Muir inadvertently became part of the story. His bright yellow fire jacket caught viewers’ attention, but it was his use of a clothespin to tailor the fit that sparked debate. The on-air fashion faux pas led to widespread commentary and accusations of vanity.

In January 2025, David Muir managed to make the tragic news of the wildfires that raged through Southern California about himself. While covering the event, he wore a bright yellow fire jacket that some found distracting on its own. But then he turned around and showed that he had used a clothespin on the back to adjust the fit. Muir’s on-air fashion fail immediately caused a stir — to say the least. His decision to cinch the garment sparked widespread accusations of vanity.

Some even questioned his ethics. “David Muir, with his clothespins, shows us the real priority: report the news and always carry a clothespin to look svelte in a bulky outer jacket,” an X user commented under a clip from the journalist’s live report. Others used the opportunity to joke about the fashion world. “I’ve decided to go into the fashion industry and my first product is the David Muir fashion clip,” a second X user mocked. 

But social media users weren’t the only ones who had something to say about the faux pas. ABC insiders were also reportedly “embarrassed and horrified” that Muir had drawn negative attention to himself, according to Page Six. However, Muir had some supporters, with netizens pointing out that the clothespin could have been used to help prevent the jacket from flapping and creating interference. “You have to take active measures to prevent clothes and jewelry from making unbearable noises,” a Reddit user argued. Regardless of side, one thing is for sure: everyone has an opinion on it.

David Muir most certainly is good at what he does, but he also clearly likes to look good while doing it. It turns out that clothespingate wasn’t the only time Muir was mocked for seemingly focusing on his appearance amid tragic news events. He has gotten flak for wearing tight clothing that showcased his physique more than once. As the image above shows, he often gives off the impression of trying to show off his biceps while covering somber situations. In this case, he was reporting from war-torn and famine-stricken South Sudan.

Another example is when he flew over the Syrian-Iraqi border in a form-fitting gray T-shirt in 2019. “I loved his flex muscle in the helicopter shot,” a Facebook user joked. Muir was criticized again during the coverage of the deadly flooding in Central Texas in July 2025, when he wore a T-shirt that appeared cinched at the waist. “He wants the world to know he is super, super tiny in the waist, but super muscle-y in the arms,” Megyn Kelly slammed on “The Megyn Kelly Show.” (We aren’t surprised at this one, given that the former Fox News host can’t seem to stand Muir beyond his fashion choices.)

But social media users and his detractors aren’t the only ones who have taken issue with Muir’s apparent vanity. “His narcissism is quite large in the sense of this kind of thing. I like David, except for this part of him,” a source said in the Page Six report. 

David Muir’s career ambitions reportedly saw his ego clash with that of George Stephanopoulos. The latter was the “chief anchor” at ABC until 2021, when the younger journalist came in and took the responsibilities away from him, albeit without the fancy title that the network opted to stop using following the supposed drama. The clash of egos took such proportions that Stephanopoulos threatened to quit ABC over Muir. He didn’t. “They found a way to have two big stars and build towards the future,” a source told CNN.

However, Stephanopoulos did lose a lot of ground to Muir starting in 2014, when the latter replaced Diane Sawyer as anchor of “World News Tonight,” a spot the former supposedly wanted. However, the network wanted Stephanopoulos on “Good Morning America,” a program that was taking over in viewership from the evening news in general. Stephanopoulos inherited Sawyer’s special reports duties, so the arrangement aappeared to work for some time. But Muir continued to climb the ladder until he took over special events coverage in 2021.

This may suggest he came out victorious in the years-long feud. “There’s a reason that George Stephanopoulos does not play a role in the larger ABC news political coverage anymore. He was the lead man for a while, and now it’s David Muir,” former CNN reporter Oliver Darcy told the Daily Mail in 2025. ABC anticipated that tension would build between the two big shots, so there was no surprise there. “This was always going to blow up at some point,” an insider told CNN.

David Muir doesn’t think he needs to stand in line to have his photo taken — or at least that’s what Megyn Kelly claimed. During the Time 100 Gala in April 2025, attendees — including high-profile ones — had to line up to have their red carpet pictures taken. Kelly was waiting behind Priyanka Chopra when the coordinators made them all pause so that someone could skip the line. “Clearly some big stars are coming over from the right,” she said on “The Megyn Kelly Show” in May 2025.

Kelly craned her neck to take a peek at this big shot who interrupted the natural flow of the line. “I was thinking, like, ‘Who is it? Tom Cruise? Who is it?’” she shared. It was no movie star, though. “It was f**king David Muir,” she said. According to her version of events, she wasn’t the only one who felt disappointed. “Everybody was expecting some truly A-list talent to come in there. And we were all like, David Muir?! You got to be kidding me,” she recalled.

But not everyone thought Kelly was being fair, with one insider accusing her of jealousy. “Oh, poor Megyn. She had to wait to get her photo taken,” the source told the Daily Mail. Another source defended Muir, explaining that he was just following orders. “Here were two red carpet entrances – one for photos only and one for TV interviews. Time directed David to the photo entrance, and he did what they asked,” the insider said.

David Muir reportedly doesn’t leave his preoccupation with his looks at the door of ABC studios. If the account of a conservative political analyst is to be believed, Muir spends a lot of time at the gym — and not just working out. “I used to work out at the same gym as David Muir. All the trainers and staff collectively referred to him as ‘Zoolander’ because he’d stand in front of the mirror posing and flexing for uncomfortably long periods of time,” Andrea Tantaros claimed on X in 2024.

Many social media users had no issue believing her anecdote. “Okay that kind of cracked me up because I could see that. Muir Muir on the wall… lol,” one X user commented. Another joked that Muir’s vanity probably didn’t stop at the gym. “I wager there are lots of mirrors in his bedroom.” There could be no veracity to Tantaros’ claims, or she could very well be exaggerating normal guy behavior, but there is no denying that Muir works hard to get those biceps.

Muir keeps his social media largely focused on his work, but whenever he posts personal content, he usually shows off his physique. Besides, not everyone has complained about his gym etiquette. In fact, plenty of gymgoers are happy to share the space with the buff journalist. “Now is a good time to say that I see David Muir at the gym and he is even hotter in person,” an X user contended in 2024.