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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
/
Fox News did not disclose its all-women town hall with Trump was
packed with his supporters
By Hadas Gold and Liam Reilly, CNN
Updated:
5:21 PM EDT, Wed October 16, 2024
Source: CNN
Fox News hosted an with former President Donald Trump, billed as an
opportunity for female voters to ask the Republican candidate questions
that matter to them.
The Georgia town hall, where Trump took questions on reproductive laws,
transgender rights and other issues, aired Wednesday morning. But Fox
News did not disclose that the female audience it selected for the
event was packed with local Republican supporters and the network
edited its broadcast to remove some of their vocal advocacy of Trump.
The Georgia Federation of Republican Women wrote on its Facebook page
Wednesday that the group helped host the event, photos from the
venue and writing they were “Super excited for the opportunity of
hosting this event right here in Georgia!”
Shortly after CNN reached out to the group and Fox News about their
role, the post was edited to state they were “excited for the
opportunity of attending this event right here in Georgia!”
Republican Women of Forsyth County also posted a from the event
showing attendees chatting with Trump and Fox News host Harris
Faulkner.
A Fox News spokesperson told CNN the event was not hosted by any
Republican group and that it was the network’s event alone. But the
right-wing outlet did not disclose the makeup of the audience in its
press release announcing the town hall or in Faulkner’s introduction,
stating only that it was “held with an audience entirely composed of
women.”
The first question posed to Trump at the town hall came from a woman
identified as Lisa, who asked the former president a question about the
economy. The network did not disclose that Lisa is of the Fulton
County Republican Women group.
The local Republican groups did not respond to CNN requests for comment
Wednesday.
Some of the town hall attendees made it clear they were supporters of
the former president, either in their questioning or in their attire.
“I want to thank you for coming to a room full of women the current
administration would consider domestic terrorists,” a woman named
Alicia said to laughter from the audience before a question about
foreign policy.
But a portion of Alicia’s question was edited by Fox News to remove
her admission that she was voting for Trump.
“I proudly cast my vote for you today. I hope they count it,” she
added, according to an audio recording from a CNN reporter in
attendance.
While it’s common for a pre-taped event or interview to be edited for
time, Alicia’s short remark came in the middle of her question, which
remained intact on the broadcast.
During another moment missing from Fox’s broadcast, Trump asked the
crowd who they were voting for, leading to a chant of “Trump,
Trump” breaking out by the attendees.
Fox News did not respond to CNN questions about the missing remarks.
The crowd of women was overwhelmingly supportive of the former
president, welcoming Trump with a standing ovation and often breaking
out into applause during his responses. When Trump called President Joe
Biden “the worst president in history” and Vice President Kamala
Harris “the worst vice president,” the crowd burst into cheers.
One woman in the crowd wore an “RNC Delegate” hat. Another named
Rachel wore a Trump pin visible on her blazer as she asked the former
president a question.
When Faulkner asked the audience whether they opposed “biological men
and boys competing against women and girls in sports,” nearly every
hand in the room was raised, the Fox host noted. According of the
event, Trump made at least 19 false claims in the one-hour town hall.
Faulkner did not fact check Trump on stage.
The UK-based news outlet The Independent, which from the Georgia
event, spoke with attendees and noted many “were from Republican
groups around the area whom Fox News invited.”
Rachel, who wore a Trump pin while asking the candidate a question, was
later interviewed on Fox News. Though she was identified by anchor
Sandra Smith as a Trump supporter, the woman pushed back on The
Independent’s reporting.
“I’m nobody and I’m not registered with anybody,” she said.
“I found out about this meeting late through my local county
Facebook page.”
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