Fox News host Brian Kilmeade on Tuesday mistakenly referred to Donald Trump as the "president" of the United States before a Fox News chyron labeled President Joe Biden a "wannabe dictator."
The former president delivered a speech at his Bedminster, N.J. golf course hours after his arrest and arraignment on 37 federal felony charges, claiming that the troves of boxes found at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida were rife with all sorts of personal belongings, rather than classified national security documents.
"I hadn't had a chance to go through all the boxes," he said. "It's a long tedious job. Takes a long time, which I was prepared to do, but I have a very busy life. I've had a very busy life. They make it more busy, because you're always fighting."
"These boxes were containing all types of personal belongings. Many, many things. Shirts and shoes and everything," Trump added.
Ahead of the speech, Fox host Brian Kilmeade told viewers: "Let's take in the last moments. This is the president of the United States about to address a crowd of reporters. Also the first time after being indicted on federal charges, first time in history."
Fox News introduces Trump’s speech w/ “this is the president of the United States” pic.twitter.com/cXiHuJF14Y
— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) June 14, 2023
Briefly after broadcasting Trump's speech, Fox aired a split screen showing Trump's speech and Biden speaking at the White House.
"Wannabe Dictator Speaks At The White House After Having His Political Rival Arrested," the network's chyron said.
"This is so insane," tweeted Vanity Fair columnist Molly Jong-Fast. "This is so insane. This is so insane even for fox."
This is so insane. This is so insane. This is so insane even for fox. https://t.co/p6An14mg5w
— Molly Jong-fast (@MollyJongFast) June 14, 2023
"If there's no corporate entity like Dominion to sue, there's no low Fox News won't sink to. No surprise here," wrote Vigeland, the co-host of the "Majority Report," referring to the conservative network's nearly billion-dollar settlement with Dominion Voting Systems in a defamation suit pertaining to false election claims peddled by Fox.
If there’s no corporate entity like Dominion to sue, there’s no low Fox News won’t sink to. No surprise here https://t.co/CHwECMzljy
— Emma Vigeland - @emmavigeland.bsky.social (@EmmaVigeland) June 14, 2023
Former Trump White House communications director Alyssa Farrah Griffin argued that the politically divisive chyron was an example of fodder for the United State's "adversaries."
"America's adversaries LOVE this," Griffin tweeted. "They weaponized the information space to pit Americans against 1 another. The goal: make political rivals enemies-not just Americans w/diff views. It's working. Trump made it easier. Dividing us within is easier than beating us on the battlefield."
America’s adversaries LOVE this. They weaponized the information space to pit Americans against 1 another. The goal: make political rivals enemies-not just Americans w/diff views. It’s working. Trump made it easier. Dividing us within is easier than beating us on the battlefield. https://t.co/jmwodumx7F
— Alyssa Farah Griffin (@Alyssafarah) June 14, 2023
Shawn Fluharty, a Democratic lawmaker in West Virginia, called the network an "absolute joke of a 'news' organization."
"Instead of working to save journalism from years of fake news clamoring, Fox would rather work to further destroy it," he wrote. "Every real news organization, regardless of size, should be calling them out."
As I said, an absolute joke of a "news" organization. Instead of working to save journalism from years of fake news clamoring, Fox would rather work to further destroy it. Every real news organization, regardless of size, should be calling them out. https://t.co/jvtS6i890u
— Shawn Fluharty (@WVUFLU) June 14, 2023
"The chyron was taken down immediately and was addressed," a Fox News person said in a statement
