Melissa Joskow / Media Matters
Twitter accounts from NBC, CBS, and ABC broadcast news networks parroted President Donald Trump’s baseless claims the special counsel investigation into Russian election interference was a “witch hunt” and a “hoax.” This continues a disturbing trend of major news organizations echoing Trump’s propaganda through their social media accounts and delivering it straight to their audiences.
Former special counsel Robert Mueller specifically rejected Trump’s repeated claims that the probe was “witch hunt” and that Russia’s 2016 election interference was a “hoax” during his July 25 testimony to the House Select Permanent Committee on Intelligence. Afterward, Trump spoke to reporters outside the White House and again falsely referred to Mueller’s investigation as “this ridiculous hoax, this witch hunt.”
When Twitter accounts belonging to the three major broadcast networks covered Trump’s remarks, their tweets simply repeated his groundless talking points without noting they had been specifically rejected by the former special counsel.
Asked if he was concerned he could be indicted once he's left office, Pres. Trump responds angrily, saying “all of those problems having to do with crime were the biggest hoax of all,” and accusing the reporter who asked of being “fake news.” https://t.co/4TAVylX3T9 pic.twitter.com/r1FkMR1Z7J
— ABC News (@ABC) July 25, 2019
After Robert Mueller's testimony on Wednesday, Pres. Trump says he won the day, once again dismissing the entire Russia investigation as a “hoax”: “The Democrats lost so big today,” he told reporters. “Their party is in shambles right now.” https://t.co/fPnQ3PEsWU pic.twitter.com/SwUp8oMy8q
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) July 25, 2019
“We had a very good day today,” Pres. Trump says following the #MuellerHearings. “There is no defense to this ridiculous hoax, this witch hunt that's been going on for a long time.” https://t.co/vuEtYfPnf1 pic.twitter.com/cGALwOXnq8
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) July 24, 2019
SPECIAL REPORT: “There was no defense to this ridiculous hoax, this witch hunt, that's been going on for a long time, pretty much from the time I came down on the escalator with our first lady,” Pres. Trump says after Robert Mueller's testimony https://t.co/EbzpQ0lnrr pic.twitter.com/QO5ghwrI2u
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) July 24, 2019
WATCH: President Trump answers @HallieJackson’s question about Wikileaks on the south lawn this afternoon. #MTPDaily
Pres. Trump: “Wikileaks is a hoax just like everything else.” pic.twitter.com/ktyZStE5Wc— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) July 24, 2019
Asked if he was concerned he could be indicted once he's left office, President Trump responds angrily, saying “all of those problems having to do with crime were the biggest hoax of all,” and accuses the reporter who asked of being “fake news.” https://t.co/jFAp2S0Zzi pic.twitter.com/9K7dRq48BF
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 24, 2019
“We had a very good day today,” President Trump says following the #MuellerHearings and slams Mueller and the investigation.
“There is no defense to this ridiculous hoax, this witch hunt that's been going on for a long time” https://t.co/TU5CqqKaPz pic.twitter.com/136wkaApbk— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) July 24, 2019