Fox News cuts off Trump campaign news conference
Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto broke into coverage of Kayleigh McEnany’s Trump campaign news conference Monday and abruptly pulled the plug following unsubstantiated and “explosive” claims of voter fraud.
White House press secretary McEnany, a federal employee speaking in a “personal capacity” as a Trump campaign adviser and spokesperson, was explaining President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede the Nov. 3 election to Democrat Joe Biden.
Shortly after McEnany’s claim that the Democratic Party was “welcoming fraud” and “welcoming illegal voting,” Cavuto appeared at his desk on Fox’s split screen and stopped the network’s live coverage.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, I just think we have to be very clear,” Cavuto said, referring to McEnany’s statements. “She’s charging the other side is welcoming fraud and welcoming illegal voting. Unless she has more details to back that up, I can’t in good countenance continue showing you this.”
Cavuto added: “I want to make sure that maybe they do have something to back that up. But that is an explosive charge to make, that the other side is effectively rigging and cheating. If she does bring proof of that, of course we will take you back.”
USA TODAY has reached out to Fox News for elaboration or comment.
President Donald Trump has made repeated and baseless claims that the Democratic Party has tried to steal the election. On Saturday, following the announcement of Biden’s projected win, Trump put out a statement that accused Biden’s campaign of urging the counting of “fraudulent” or “manufactured” ballots and those cast by dead people.
“So what is Biden hiding? I will not rest until the American People have the honest vote count they deserve and that Democracy demands,” the statement said.
Here are the full McEnany comments to which Fox News raised objection:
“There is only one party in America trying to keep observers out of the count room, that party, my friends is the Democrat Party. You don’t take these positions because you want an honest election. You don’t oppose an audit of the vote because you want an accurate count. You don’t oppose our effort at sunlight, at transparency, because you have nothing to hide. You take these positions because you are welcoming fraud and you are welcoming illegal voting.”