A Media Research Center analysis has revealed that major networks ABC, CBS, and NBC displayed a staggering 95% negative coverage of former President Donald Trump in the aftermath of the recent assassination attempt at his Florida golf course.
The MRC examined the evening newscasts of the three networks from Sunday to Tuesday and found that only 5% of the commentary was positive, while 20 out of 21 evaluative comments were negative towards Trump.
The attempted assassination, allegedly perpetrated by 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, dominated 70% of campaign news airtime, but the networks’ coverage was heavily skewed against Trump.
In the wake of the incident, Trump attributed the violence to “communist left rhetoric,” but NBC’s Lester Holt linked the attempt to Trump’s own “rhetoric” on the campaign trail.
CBS’s Norah O’Donnell countered Trump’s claim, arguing that his own words were fueling the threat of political violence, citing his comments about Haitian immigrants in Ohio as an example.
NBC reporter Garrett Haake also criticized Trump’s “incendiary language” against Democrats, while the networks devoted minimal time to exploring the possibility that Democratic rhetoric may have contributed to the attempted shootings.
Out of 48 minutes of coverage, only 1 minute and 53 seconds were dedicated to discussing the potential role of Democratic rhetoric in the violence.
The latest attempt on Trump’s life comes just two months after a previous incident in Pennsylvania, where a 20-year-old man allegedly shot and wounded several people at a Trump rally.
