NEW YORK (AP) – Fox News Channel cut a impeachment manager mid-sentence on Wednesday as he presented dramatic video footage of the mob attacking the Capitol last month and government leaders running for safety.
“The political math is wrong,” said Fox’s Jesse Watters. “Democrats don’t have the votes, but they keep going.”
The incident dramatically illustrated the tightrope that television network programmers walked who appealed to fans of former President Donald Trump during his second impeachment trial.
Fox, along with ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and MSNBC, had spent nearly five hours on Wednesday reporting House executives setting out their case against Trump live. While the presentation was dry and methodical at times, the presentation reached an emotional climax when California representative Eric Swalwell showed off graphic video, much of which had not been shown before.
That’s when Fox cut things off shortly after 5:00 p.m. Eastern, when the network started its commentary show ‘The Five’.
“This is all emotional, political theater,” said cohost Greg Gutfeld, one of four commentators who spoke out against impeachment before an exasperated Juan Williams had a chance to speak.
“I’m a little bit shocked,” said Williams. ‘I want you to come back. Come back, join the conversation. Watch the news. “
Williams described the case house managers built as chilling and an important exercise in democracy. “The charge that you all ignore, I think you’re afraid …”
At the time, he was yelled at by Watters and Gutfeld.
“You’re so rude because I’m right,” Williams said.
A Fox News spokeswoman did not comment on the programming choice.
A few minutes later, when Swalwell showed camera footage of a Capitol police officer being attacked by a US-flagged protester, Fox panelists debated the introduction of President Joe Biden’s COVID vaccine. At Newsmax, a Republican congressman was interviewed about the 2022 midterm elections.
Meanwhile, George Stephanopoulos of ABC and Kasie Hunt of NBC seemed visibly shocked by what they had seen. NBC News’ Lester Holt called it ’emotionally heartbreaking’.
“Members of the Senate are almost afraid to vote for impeachment,” said Holt.
For the networks that appeal to conservative audiences, the process is not exactly a must-watch television. On Tuesday’s first day, MSNBC’s coverage was viewed 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 seen the first day of the trial.
“At this point, frankly, who cares?” Carlson said. “Impeachment? The whole thing is ridiculous. They are literally accusing a president who is no longer the president. They yell at someone who has already left the room.”
Still, Fox devoted much of his daytime hours to it, returning to trial even after “The Five” on Wednesday. Newsmax, after opening Wednesday’s session to silence to talk about a rebranding of Aunt Jemima food products, showed much of the afternoon session, as did One America News Network.
During the interruptions of the trial, they addressed Trump fans in their audience.
“We will report live to you here on One America News of the impeachment trial,” said anchor Jennifer Franco. Meanwhile, 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 introduced a two-minute film that combined flattering clips of Trump in the office with a narrator reading Rudyard Kipling’s poem, “ If, ” which begins with the line, “ If you can keep your wits about you when you lose theirs and blame it on you. “
It was followed by a segment on whether the “Biden honeymoon” with Congress was over.
During the first lunch break of the trial, Fox turned to Trump spokesman Jason Miller, who denounced the Democrats’ case. He said he was on the phone with his boss a few minutes earlier.
Bob Sellers of Newsmax had his own outline of the proceedings.
“It seems drawn out, a little over the top,” he said.
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Lynn Elber, Associated Press author, contributed to this report.