Former President Donald J. Trump’s appearance at Trump Tower on Friday, which was promoted as a news conference, quickly turned into a chaotic and misleading speech that left several major networks grappling with the decision to continue airing his remarks.
As Mr. Trump began speaking in his usual style, filled with false statements and attacks on his Manhattan trial, cable news channels and NBC initially carried his speech live. However, as the former president continued to make unfounded claims and accusations, networks such as MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News made the decision to cut away from the broadcast.
NBC interrupted Mr. Trump’s speech after 20 minutes, with anchor Lester Holt fact-checking his statements and bringing on legal analysts to provide context. Similarly, MSNBC and CNN also broke away from the speech to provide viewers with fact-checking segments and analysis of Mr. Trump’s remarks.
While ABC and CBS did not interrupt their regular programming, Fox News chose to air Mr. Trump’s appearance in its entirety, allowing viewers to see the speech without interruption.
This is not the first time that television journalists have had to navigate the challenge of reporting on Mr. Trump’s speeches, as his tendency to speak in falsehoods and make inflammatory remarks has often put networks in a difficult position. During the 2016 campaign, Mr. Trump famously used a live broadcast to promote false claims about Barack Obama’s birthplace, leaving journalists feeling manipulated by the Trump campaign.
As the former president continues to make public appearances and deliver speeches filled with misinformation, networks will have to carefully consider how to balance the news value of his remarks with the need to provide accurate and responsible reporting to their viewers.
