Cable news network Fox News on Tuesday night created a politically-charged controversy by labeling US President Joe Biden as a “wannabe dictator” while they played a live broadcast of Donald Trump’s post-arraignment speech.
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The channel presented a split screen of Trump addressing his supporters live in New Jersey, and Biden speaking at the White House earlier in the day. Below the visuals, a chyron (on-screen graphics which help viewers quickly identify the topic that is being discussed) read, “Wannabe dictator speaks at the White House after having his political rival arrested”.
Reportedly, the misleading caption stayed on screen for 27 seconds till Fox News host Sean Hannity started speaking at 9 pm. However, it was not removed when the telecast was rerun late at night.
On Wednesday, the cable news network said that they took down the chyron “immediately”. However, they did not explain how the message made it onto the screen and how the matter was addressed, reported news agency AP.
{{/usCountry}}On Wednesday, the cable news network said that they took down the chyron “immediately”. However, they did not explain how the message made it onto the screen and how the matter was addressed, reported news agency AP.
{{/usCountry}}Notably, Fox News was the only major cable network that aired Trump's speech, while CNN and MSNBC chose not to carry the former President's address on air. Meanwhile, PBS used the lower third of its screen to post fact-checks when it streamed Trump's speech on its YouTube channel, reported AP.
Trump slams Biden in his speech
Donald Trump - who has been impeached and indicted twice - is currently under investigation for election interference. During his speech in New Jersey for his 2024 Presidential campaign, Trump claimed that he was the victim of political “persecution”, and accused Biden of directing efforts to prosecute him". He also called Biden the “most corrupt president in the history of the United States”.
(With inputs from AP)