Primetime Fox News host Brian Kilmeade received criticism this week for prematurely condemning the media’s reaction to Donald Trump’s “not guilty” verdict on espionage charges, which had not yet been scheduled for trial.
Subsequently, a correction was made to the original post, replacing “found not guilty” with “pleaded not guilty.”
On Friday, Kilmeade shared a Facebook clip featuring his Wednesday opening monologue on Fox News Tonight.
In the segment, Kilmeade expressed his disapproval of CNN and MSNBC for failing to broadcast Trump’s New Jersey speech following his indictment and arraignment earlier that day in a Florida court.
The headline on the Facebook clip, still available on Kilmeade’s page, puzzlingly states: “CNN Hosts Go NUCLEAR As Trump Is Found Not Guilty and Refuse To Air His Speech.”
However, Kilmeade discusses the distinction between an indictment and a verdict in the video, criticizing the media for focusing on the arraignment rather than Trump’s subsequent speech that evening.
Kilmeade emphasizes that the press treats the indictment as evidence of guilt, disregarding the principle of presumed innocence until proven guilty for Trump.
The Facebook headline remains unexplained, as Fox News did not respond to our inquiry regarding its intended meaning.
Is it possible that there was a typo?
Could the intended headline have been “As Trump Pleads Guilty”? We can only speculate.
Nevertheless, it’s important to clarify that Trump has neither been found guilty nor not guilty, as Kilmeade explained in the clip. Such determinations are not made during an arraignment.
As the Trump spectacle continued on Tuesday evening, news anchors remained vigilant in monitoring their broadcasts.
CNN and MSNBC decided not to air Trump’s speech live from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he held the first fundraiser for his 2024 campaign.
MSNBC anticipated that the address would essentially be a campaign speech, similar to Trump’s previous speech following his initial arraignment in April.
Addressing viewers as Trump began public remarks, Rachel Maddow said they would not broadcast the speech live.
She emphasized the high cost to the news organization when knowingly spreading falsehoods in such situations.
Maddow stressed their commitment to delivering factual news, stating that live broadcasting of what they fully expected to be a series of lies and false accusations, regardless of the speaker, would hinder their ability to fulfill that mission.
