Fox News Chyron calls Biden a ‘wannabe dictator’
A Fox News chyron appeared to call President Biden a “wannabe dictator” during footage of his remarks from the White House on Tuesday, the same day former President Donald J. Trump was charged with federal crimes in a Miami courtroom.
The onscreen text appeared briefly at the bottom of a split-screen broadcast in which President Biden and former President Trump spoke from respective podiums, at the White House and a Trump golf club in Bedminster, NJ
“Wannabe dictator speaks at White House after his political rival is arrested,” the chyron read. It did not refer to Mr Biden by name, but the implication was clear.
The warning appeared at the end of the 8 p.m. broadcast of “Fox News Tonight,” a primetime show that recently replaced one hosted by Tucker Carlson, a popular late-night host who was fired by the network in April. Footage of Mr Biden showed him speaking on the South Lawn of the White House at a holiday event on Tuesday.
The term “wannabe dictator” was unusually strong, even for a network that had a generally friendly relationship with the Trump White House and was highly critical of the Biden administration.
In Tuesday’s edition of “Fox News Tonight,” host Brian Kilmeade also incorrectly referred to Mr. Trump as the “president of the United Statesbefore starting to speak at his club in New Jersey.
Fox News representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Mr. Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, on Tuesday became the first former president to be charged with federal crimes. He pleaded not guilty to 37 charges related to his handling of classified documents after he left office and his refusal to return them.
Later on Tuesday, after President Biden comments delivered at a White House reception for US diplomats, he declined to answer questions from reporters in the room about Mr Trump’s courtroom performance.
A number of major television networks have refused to broadcast Mr Trump’s speeches live over concerns that it could give him a platform for spreading misinformation. When CNN hosted a town hall with Mr Trump in May, it was roundly criticized by observers who called the decision to broadcast the event live irresponsible.
Since the 2020 election, Fox News has occasionally omitted or refused to run Mr. Trump’s speeches. In other instances, like on Tuesday, the network has given them primetime slots.