In a surprising moment during a live interview on Newsmax, former President Donald Trump encountered an unusual situation when the network displayed a striking chyron. Trump, who was about to delve into his claims of election fraud in the 2020 elections and his dire warnings about the future of the United States should he lose, was interrupted by the unexpected message. As HuffPost reported, the right-wing media seemed to attempt to distance itself from his claims with an awkward but clear statement.
During the interview with host Corey Lewandowski, Trump was discussing his Middle East strategy. “Well, it’s 28 different cells of terror, they call them,” Trump began, before abruptly shifting to his election-related alarmism. “And once we get it going and once we’re in power – and we have to be because we’re not gonna have a country. If we don’t win this election, on November 5th, we won’t have a country left, Corey. We’re not gonna have a country and you know that better than anybody.”
It was at this point that Newsmax displayed the unexpected chyron: “Please Note: Newsmax accepts the 2020 election results as legal and final.” Despite this clear message from the network, Trump continued with his rhetoric. “We are laughed at. They think we’re fools. They can’t believe that Biden is the president. And we’re gonna turn that around. We’re gonna turn it around very fast.”
The interview concluded without Trump directly addressing the 2020 election, but the preemptive message from Newsmax was evident. The timing of the chyron suggests a strategic move by the network to shield itself from further legal repercussions. By openly declaring its acceptance of the 2020 election results, Newsmax attempts to distance itself from the baseless claims that have previously led to significant legal challenges.
For years, Trump has pushed the false narrative that the 2020 election was stolen from him through widespread voter fraud. These claims have been debunked by multiple courts and independent audits. Conservative media outlets like Fox News, Newsmax, and One America News Network (OANN) have amplified this rhetoric, which has led to significant backlash and legal battles.
Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic, two voting technology companies, have filed defamation lawsuits against these networks. Dominion’s lawsuit against Fox News resulted in a $787.5 million settlement, as reported by NBC News. These cases argue that the networks knowingly spread false information alleging that the companies were involved in election fraud, despite these allegations being disproven by numerous investigations and court rulings.
Dominion is also suing Newsmax for $1.6 billion, claiming that the network’s persistent promotion of election fraud narratives severely damaged its reputation and business operations. Similarly, Dominion is seeking $1.6 billion in damages from OANN, accusing the network of broadcasting false stories and interviews supporting the election fraud theory. Smartmatic has also filed a defamation lawsuit against OANN, seeking $2.7 billion in damages, alleging that the network’s dissemination of unfounded conspiracy theories about their technology caused significant harm.
Newsmax’s decisive message during Trump’s interview marks a significant moment in the ongoing fallout from the 2020 election controversies, highlighting the network’s effort to navigate the legal and reputational challenges it faces.
get a load of the chyron Newsmax is displaying while Corey Lewandowski interviews Trump pic.twitter.com/HYQjC4OQBu
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 26, 2024
Why did Newsmax run this chyron? Because it is currently facing billion-dollar defamation suits from both Dominion and Smartmatic for its role in propagating Trump’s big lie. pic.twitter.com/Cv0gVVO0GE
— Howie Morgan (@HowieMorgan) June 26, 2024