CNN’s Abby Phillip Fact-Checks Several Fox Hosts for Repeating a ‘Trump Lie’
CNN’s Abby Phillip fact-checked several Fox hosts who repeated Donald Trump’s false claim that the judge in his New York criminal trial ruled the former president may not attend his son’s high school graduation.
Jury selection in Trump’s trial began on Monday. He has pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments.
“It looks like the judge will not let me go to the graduation of my son,” Trump after court adjourned for the day. However, Judge Juan Merchan has yet to rule on that matter, stating that it is too early to decide. The ex-president later repeated the claim on Truth Social.
“Almost as those words escaped the former president’s lips, they went straight to the Fox airwaves,” Phillip said on Tuesday’s CNN NewsNight, before airing a montage of Fox hosts repeating what she called the “Trump lie”:
JESSE WATTERS: That means Donald Trump isn’t even allowed to attend his son Barron’s high school graduation. If he tries to go, the judge will throw him in jail for that too… Could you believe this judge might not let Trump go see his son’s graduation?
ELIZABETH MCDONALD: Trump said the judge will not let him attend his son’s graduation.
LAURA INGRAHAM: Former President Trump today said he may have to miss his son Barron’s graduation due to this trial and is currently under a gag order from the judge…
SEAN HANNITY: …Clearly, this is nothing more than a political smear campaign.
“But what Trump and his friends say was already decided has not been decided at all,” Phillip noted. “Merchan said it is too early to say if Trump can go watch his son walk on the stage to pomp and circumstance. Read the transcript. And Merchan sounds like he actually wants to let Trump go if the trial can stick to a schedule. Quote, ‘If everything is gone going according to schedule without unnecessary delays, then I’m sure we will be able to adjourn for one or both of those days. But if we’re running behind schedule, we will not be able to.'”
Watch above via CNN.
