Fox News identified President Joe Biden as a “wannabe dictator” in a wildly misleading caption on Tuesday night while simultaniously airing former President Donald Trump’s speech to supporters at his Bedminster golf club New Jersey and Mr Biden’s remarks at the White House.
“WANNABE DICTATOR SPEAKS AT WHITE HOUSE AFTER HAVING HIS POLITICAL RIVAL ARRESTED,” the Fox News caption read.
Mr Biden has denied that he has played any part in the investigation into Mr Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents and his refusal to return said documents to the federal government. The investigation that has resulted in Mr Trump’s being charged with 37 felony counts was led by Special Counsel Jack Smith, a man who has investigated politicians from both major parties during his career.
The notion that Mr Biden is a would-be dictator, meanwhile, is ironic considering that Mr Trump’s attempted subversion of the 2020 presidential election just two-and-a-half years ago was designed to prevent Mr Biden from ever taking office in the first place.
Fox News made the accusation of Mr Biden on the day Mr Trump was arraigned on his numerous federal charges at a courthouse in Miami. After pleading not guilty, Mr Trump resumed campaigning — first with a stop at the famous Versailles restaurant, then with a speech at Bedminster.
The network clarified on Wednesday that the chyron had been removed and addressed internally.
“The chyron was taken down immediately and was addressed,” said a Fox spokesperson.
In that speech, Mr Trump offered a two-part explanation for why he did not return the boxes of classified documents he allegedly possessed when asked to by the federal government.
““Many people have asked me why I had these boxes, why did you want them?” Mr Trump said. “The answer, in addition to having every right under the Presidential Records Act, is that these boxes were containing all types of personal belongings — many, many things, shirts and shoes, everything.”
It remains to be seen whether that explanation is a viable legal strategy for Mr Trump, who is also facing criminal charges in New York over his alleged role in a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels and may face further criminal charges in the coming months over his attempts to overturn the result of the 2020 election.
Mr Trump was defeated in that election by Mr Biden, but has spent the last several years repeatedly and falsely claiming that he won. He was impeached for inciting a riot at the Capitol on January 6, but the Senate’s vote to acquit him means he remains eligible to run for president again.
