NEW YORK (AP) – Fox News stopped an impeachment manager mid-sentence on Wednesday as he presented a dramatic video of the crowd attacking the United States Capitol last month and government leaders rushing in search of security .
“Political mathematics don’t match,” said Fox’s Jesse Watters. “Democrats don’t have votes, but they keep pushing.”
The incident was a dramatic illustration of the tightrope walk by programmers on television networks that attract fans of former President Donald Trump during his second impeachment trial.
Fox, along with ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and MSNBC, covered House managers outlining their case against Trump live for nearly five hours on Wednesday. Although sometimes dry and methodical, the presentation reached an emotional climax when California representative Eric Swalwell showed a graphic video, much of it never seen before.
It was then that Fox cut things off, shortly after 5 pm Eastern, when the network started its “The Five” commentary program.
“All of this is emotional and political theater,” said co-host Greg Gutfeld, one of four commentators speaking out against impeachment before an exasperated Juan Williams had a chance to speak.
“I’m kind of shocked,” said Williams. “I want you to come back. Come back, join the conversation. Pay attention to the news. “
Williams described the case that House administrators were building as a frightening and important exercise in democracy. “The impeachment trial that you are ignoring, I think you are afraid …”
At that point, he was shouted at by Watters and Gutfeld.
“You’re being so rude because I’m right,” said Williams.
A Fox News spokeswoman did not comment on the choice of programming.
A few minutes later, while Swalwell showed footage of a Capitol police officer being attacked by a demonstrator with an American flag, Fox speakers were debating the launch of President Joe Biden’s COVID vaccine. At Newsmax, a Republican congressman was being interviewed about the 2022 midterm elections.
Meanwhile, George Stephanopoulos of ABC and Kasie Hunt of NBC seemed visibly shaken by what they saw. Lester Holt of NBC News called it “emotionally painful”.
“I almost dare members of the Senate not to vote for impeachment,” said Holt.
For networks that attract a conservative audience, the trial is not exactly mandatory television. On the first day of Tuesday, MSNBC coverage was seen by 2.87 million people, CNN’s audience was 2.66 million and Fox News, 1.95 million, said Nielsen.
Fox’s most popular personality, Tucker Carlson, said he didn’t watch anything on the first day of the trial.
“At this point, honestly, who cares?” Carlson said. “Impeachment? The whole thing is ridiculous. They are literally impeaching a president who is no longer president. They are yelling at someone who has already left the room. “
Still, Fox devoted much of his daytime hours to him and even returned to trial after “The Five” on Wednesday. Newsmax, after silencing the opening of Wednesday’s session to talk about a redesign of the food brand Tia Jemima, showed much of the afternoon session, as did One America News Network.
During the intervals of the trial, they addressed Trump fans in their audience.
“We will continue to bring live coverage of the impeachment trial here on One America News,” said anchor Jennifer Franco. “Meanwhile, despite the endless lies and attacks by Democrats and the mainstream media, ex-President Trump has fought hard for the country over the past four years.”
She presented a two-minute film combining flattering clips of Trump in the office with a narrator reading Rudyard Kipling’s poem, “If”, which begins with the phrase: “If you can keep your head when everything about you is losing your mind and blaming you. “
It was followed by a segment on whether the “Biden honeymoon” with Congress was over.
During the first afternoon 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 minutes earlier.
Newsmax’s Bob Sellers did his own review of the procedures.
“It seems prolonged, a little over the top,” he said.
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Associated Press Television editor Lynn Elber contributed to this report.