In a lively press conference from Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, former President Donald Trump launched into a lengthy tirade filled with bold claims that prompted CNN to cut away mid-rant. CNN anchor Jim Acosta took control, openly challenging what he described as “multiple falsehoods and outright lies,” leading to a swift, real-time fact-check by CNN’s veteran analyst Daniel Dale.
The interruption began when Trump repeated his debunked claim of winning the 2020 presidential election. Acosta swiftly muted Trump, declaring, “We have debunked that so many times. That is just an outright lie.” Acosta then turned to Dale to clarify Trump’s other statements, beginning with immigration.
Trump’s speech included claims that President Biden had appointed Vice President Kamala Harris as the “border czar.” Dale, however, provided context, explaining that Harris’s role is actually limited to addressing the “root causes” of migration in specific Central American countries—not overseeing border security. “She was never named the borders czar,” Dale clarified, adding that her responsibilities involve diplomatic discussions on economic and social issues in countries such as Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador.
Dale also refuted Trump’s story that foreign nations are “emptying prisons” into the United States, calling it a “fable” and noting that Trump has yet to produce evidence to support such claims. “This is another one of those tales without any credible data or backup,” Dale emphasized.
In another surprising turn, Trump mispronounced Vice President Harris’s first name and accused her of once referring to him as “Hitler.” Acosta asked Dale to fact-check this accusation, and Dale promptly responded, “Unless something major has slipped by us, she never called him Hitler.” Dale noted that Harris, although critical of Trump’s ideology, has been careful to avoid labeling all Trump supporters or resorting to extreme comparisons. Harris has spoken out against what she describes as “fascist-like tendencies” but has directed her criticism specifically at Trump, rather than his supporters as a whole.
The segment closed with Acosta addressing CNN viewers directly, underscoring the network’s commitment to truth over unchecked narratives. “We’re not just going to air all of these false claims non-stop without any kind of fact-checking,” he asserted. “That’s why it’s so essential to bring in experts like Daniel to clarify these statements in real-time.”
Acosta’s final words offered a pointed reminder of CNN’s mission in the media landscape: “We owe it to the public to challenge these narratives when they’re presented without evidence.” This impromptu fact-check was a clear indication that CNN is doubling down on keeping its viewers informed, particularly when it comes to the complex, often controversial statements surrounding the nation’s political figures.
