Trump complains of roll call coverage; speech cut short

NEW YORK — The opening of the Republican National Convention on Monday offered quick proof how it is covered by the news media will be an ongoing sore spot.

President Donald Trump complained about spotty coverage of the roll call vote that renominated him as the Republican candidate for president, and some television networks abandoned Trump’s informal, 54-minute acceptance speech for aggressive fact-checking.

This all took place hours before prime-time hours that would make clear how Republicans, like Democrats a week earlier, would keep viewers interested with a strippeddown convention because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Democrats turned the traditional roll call vote into a well-received television production, with delegates stationed in their home state or territory to proclaim allegiance to Joe Biden. Republicans had 336 delegates — a fraction of the normal amount — support Trump at the Charlotte Convention Center in North Carolina.

It was a split-screen moment for news networks, which dipped in and out of the roll call as they also covered the testimony of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy before the House Oversight Committee.

Trump specifically complained about CNN and MSNBC, although he also grumbled that Fox News Channel had announcers talking over the vote. He said his moment was overshadowed by the “scam” and “boring” hearing into whether the postal service was prepared for voting by mail this fall.

His appearance so early in the convention — as MSNBC carried a countdown clock on its screen promoting the evening’s coverage — was followed by the three cable news networks and ABC and CBS.

However, ABC, CBS and CNN cut away before Trump finished speaking.

Listening to the president “underscores the challenge for us in the news business,” said CNN’s John King.