Late Tuesday afternoon, Biden DOJ-appointed special prosecutor Jack Smith announced yet another indictment against former President Donald Trump on four separate counts. This time related to his alleged actions in the run-up to the January 6 riots at the United States Capitol. In stark contrast to their dismissive coverage of Hunter Biden’s criminal activity, the three networks spent a combined 24 minutes and 36 seconds on the third indictment of Trump.
ABC’s World News Tonight was the worst offender when it comes to the obsessive network coverage. In total, the network spent 11 minutes and 56 seconds harping on the news. Their total airtime dedicated to reporting the news (minus teases and commercials) was 19 minutes flat, which meant over 60 percent (62.8%) was about Trump.
Anchor David Muir crowed right out of the gate at the top of the show:
A federal Grand Jury has now criminally indicted the former President out of the special counsel’s investigation into his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The 45-page indictment begins by saying the former President lost the 2020 election, knew he lost, and then for months spread lies that there had been outcome-determinative fraud in the election. And that he had actually won it. The indictment charges Trump with four counts. Conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. Obstruction in an attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights.
CBS Evening News, for their part, was mild in comparison with a grand total of 5 minutes and 17 seconds spent on the indictment. In reporting the news, fill-in anchor Major Garrett announced the reason for the charges and huffed that Trump expressed his disapproval of Smith.
“Today’s charges are related to Trump’s attempts to challenge the result of an election he lost, plans for fake collectors, and his role in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol,” Garrett reported. “Trump responded to today’s news on his social media account, calling Smith deranged and the indictment election interference,” he added.
Right behind World News Tonight in the length of coverage was NBC Nightly News which dedicated 7 minutes and 23 seconds to the prosecution of Trump.
“Donald Trump’s legal jeopardy became much more serious late today after the former President was indicted for a third time, this time by a federal Grand Jury in Washington. Investigating his alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election,” anchor Lester Holt proclaimed. “In the new indictment, Mr. Trump is charged with three counts of conspiracy and one count of obstruction. He was summoned to appear on Thursday before a federal magistrate judge in Washington,” Holt added.
This obsessive network coverage of the latest Trump indictment by the corrupt Jack Smith was made possible by Red Lobster on ABC, Allstate on CBS, and Prevagen on NBC. Their information is linked.
To read the transcripts, click “expand”:
ABC’s World News Tonight
8/1/2023
6:30:30 p.m. Eastern
50 secondsDAVID MUIR: We do begin with this major development in the special counsel’s investigation of former President Donald Trump. A federal Grand Jury has now criminally indicted the former President out of the special counsel’s investigation into his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The 45-page indictment begins by saying the former President lost the 2020 election, knew he lost, and then for months spread lies that there had been outcome-determinative fraud in the election. And that he had actually won it. The indictment charges Trump with four counts. Conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. Obstruction in an attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights. The indictment laying out a detailed timeline, and state-by-state efforts to appoint illegal electors and influence local officials to change the outcome in their states.
CBS Evening News
8/1/2023
6:32:21 p.m. Eastern
1 minute and 3 secondsMAJOR GARRETT: We begin with breaking news in one of the special counsel’s investigations of Donald Trump. A federal Grand Jury here in Washington has voted to indict the former President for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Among the charges include conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstruction of an official proceeding, and a civil rights-era law that makes it a crime to oppress, threaten, or intimidate a person of their free exercise or enjoyment of any right in the constitution. It is just the second time in American history that the Department of Justice has filed criminal charges against a current or former U.S. President. Special counsel Jack Smith announced the indictment just moments ago. Today’s charges are related to Trump’s attempts to challenge the result of an election he lost, plans for fake collectors, and his role in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump responded to today’s news on his social media account, calling Smith deranged and the indictment election interference.
NBC Nightly News
8/1/2023
6:31:47 p.m. Eastern
26 secondsLESTER HOLT: Donald Trump’s legal jeopardy became much more serious late today after the former President was indicted for a third time, this time by a federal Grand Jury in Washington. Investigating his alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. In the new indictment, Mr. Trump is charged with three counts of conspiracy and one count of obstruction. He was summoned to appear on Thursday before a federal magistrate judge in Washington.