Cable Networks Roasted for Constant ‘Empty Podium’ Coverage of Trump’s Every Movement Ahead of Arraignment: ‘They Really Do Never Learn’
Donald Trump’s every movement was monitored by media cameras on Monday, and critics on both the left and right were a bit nauseated with the hyper-focus, many accusing cable news networks of essentially repeating “empty podium” coverage with their long, static shots of Mar-a-Lago and Trump’s private plane.
Trump is facing an indictment from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The charges have not been officially confirmed, but recent reports indicted the indictment is centered around alleged hush money payments from the former president to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged affair.
Cameras were glued to Trump’s plane, Mar-a-Lago, and Trump Tower in Manhattan. Cable news watchers quickly realized there was literally no escaping a shot of one of the three as the media desperately timed Trump’s every movement.
Liberal pundit and video editor Aaron Rupar tweeted a collection of images from MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, and a number of other networks, each image practically a mirror image of the other with Rupar calling it “all Trump, all the time.”
The Daily Beast’s Andrew Kirell also posted a collection of screenshots, these from MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, and NewsNation, all focused on Trump’s plane.
“Ok so cable news has learned exactly nothing,” Kirell tweeted along with the shots.
Some reporters captured the behind the scenes madness as media teams crowded various locations where Trump would be, including One America News Network correspondent Caitlin Sinclair in New York capturing the crowd of reports gathered and geared up for Trump’s arrival.
Among those reporters outside Trump Tower was Keith Olbermann.
Conservative critics were somewhat taken aback by the constant coverage too.
Newsbusters managing editor Curtis Houck tweeted a collection of images from CNN covering Trump-related locations when there was zero actual movement. Houck dubbed the coverage the “new empty podium.”
In a number of other tweets, the conservative pundit highlighted some of CNN’s specific coverage, which included correspondents commenting on the “remarkable pictures” of Trump’s motorcade simply moving down a road.
CNN and other networks faced some public outcry in 2016 when they chose to air an empty podium where Trump would be arriving soon instead of a speech by his opponent at the time, Hillary Clinton.
Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in regards to Daniels and has called Bragg’s case a politically motivated “witch hunt.”
