[ad_1]
NEW YORK (AP) – Fox News Channel interrupted an impeachment official mid-sentence on Wednesday as he presented dramatic video footage of the mob attacking the U.S. Capitol last month and government officials running around for the safety.
“Political calculations don’t add up,” Fox’s Jesse Watters said. “Democrats don’t have the votes, but they keep moving forward.”
The incident was a dramatic illustration of the tightrope walked by programmers of TV channels that appeal to fans of former President Donald Trump during his second impeachment trial.
Fox, along with ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and MSNBC, had been covering House directors describing their case against Trump live for nearly five hours on Wednesday. While at times dry and methodical, the presentation reached an emotional climax when California Rep Eric Swalwell showed off a graphic video, much of which had not been seen before.
That’s when Fox cut things off, shortly after 5 p.m. EST, when the network began its “The Five” commentary.
“This is all emotional political theater,” said co-host Greg Gutfeld, one of four commentators to speak out against impeachment before an exasperated Juan Williams had a chance to speak.
“I’m a little shocked,” Williams said. “I want you to come back. Come back, join the conversation. Pay attention to the news. “
Williams described the case the House Directors constructed as frightening and an important exercise in democracy. “The impeachment trial you all ignore, I guess you’re scared …”
At that point, Watters and Gutfeld shouted it out.
“You’re so rude because I’m so right,” Williams said.
A Fox News spokesperson did not comment on the choice of programming.
Minutes later, as Swalwell showed body camera footage of a Capitol Hill police officer attacked by a protester with an American flag, Fox panelists debated President Joe Biden’s COVID vaccine rollout. At Newsmax, a Republican congressman was asked about the 2022 midterm elections.
Meanwhile, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos and NBC’s Kasie Hunt seemed visibly shaken by what they had seen. Lester Holt of NBC News called it “emotionally heartbreaking.”
“He almost dares members of the Senate not to vote for impeachment,” Holt said.
For networks that appeal to a conservative audience, the lawsuit isn’t exactly must-watch television. On its first day Tuesday, MSNBC’s coverage was seen by 2.87 million people, CNN’s audience was 2.66 million and Fox News had 1.95 million, the Nielsen company said.
Fox’s most popular personality, Tucker Carlson, said he hadn’t watched any of the early days of the trial.
“At this point, honestly, who cares?” Carlson said. “Impeachment? This is all ridiculous. They are literally removing a president who is no longer the president. They are yelling at someone who has already left the room.
Yet Fox devoted much of his daytime to it and even returned to trial after “The Five” on Wednesday. Newsmax, after silencing the opening of Wednesday’s session to talk about rebranding Aunt Jemima’s food products, showed much of the afternoon session, as did One America News Network .
During the trial breaks, they addressed the Trump fans in their audience.
“We will continue to provide you with live coverage of the impeachment trial here on One America News,” said presenter Jennifer Franco. “In the meantime, despite endless lies and attacks from Democrats and the mainstream media, former President Trump has fought hard for the country for the past four years.
She presented a two-minute film that pairs flattering clips of Trump in the office with a narrator reading Rudyard Kipling’s poem, “If,” which begins with the phrase, “If you can keep your head when you lose theirs and blame it on you.
It was followed by a segment on the end of the “Biden honeymoon” with Congress.
During the trial’s first afternoon break, Fox turned to Trump spokesman Jason Miller, who spoke out against the Democrats. He said he was on the phone with his boss a few minutes earlier.
Bob Sellers of Newsmax had his own review of the process.
“It seems long, a bit of a stretch,” he said.
___
Associated Press Television editor Lynn Elber contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Source link