Fox News Airs Incorrect Trump Footage for Dignified Transfer Ceremony
Fox News broadcast incorrect video footage of former President Donald Trump across multiple reports on Saturday and Sunday, depicting him at a December ceremony without a hat. This was in stark contrast to the actual Saturday ceremony at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, where he wore a golf hat while saluting six flag-draped transfer cases.
Incident Details
Initially on Saturday, Fox News correctly aired video of Trump wearing a hat at the ceremony for six Army Reserve soldiers killed in Kuwait. However, less than an hour later, a Fox News host presented older video from a December ceremony, inaccurately claiming it was from the Saturday event. This December footage showed Trump without a hat, saluting troops who died in Syria.
The same December video was subsequently used in at least two Fox broadcasts on Sunday morning, including "Fox & Friends," with on-screen labels incorrectly identifying it as being recorded on Saturday. A key discrepancy was the absence of the first lady, vice president, and second lady, who attended the Saturday event but were not present in the old December video.
Fox News Responds to Error
Over three hours later on Sunday, a host of "Fox & Friends" acknowledged the mistake. The host stated:
"During our coverage of yesterday's dignified transfer, we inadvertently aired video from an older dignified transfer instead of the ceremony that took place yesterday. We deeply regret the error."
Despite this acknowledgment, the incorrect video was also used on "Fox News Sunday," bearing similar mislabeling. Critics documented the misleading footage on social media, prompting a further development: Fox later used parts of the correct Saturday video in a report, but edited the footage to show only the flag-draped transfer cases, omitting images of Trump wearing his hat.
A Fox News spokesperson provided an official statement:
"Fox News Media programs inadvertently aired file footage from a previous dignified transfer... The archival footage was mistakenly used during the video sourcing process. We regret the error and apologize for the incorrect footage."
Notably, the mislabeled December video remains accessible on the Fox News website.
Broader Context and Sensitivity
Trump's choice to wear a white golf hat during the Saturday ceremony garnered significant online attention. The hat, which is sold online, features "USA" along with the numbers "45" and "47." This incident highlights the politically sensitive nature of presidential conduct at such solemn ceremonies, recalling past controversies such as Joe Biden checking his watch during a similar event in 2021.