Two television networks cut away from President Trump early Wednesday morning to allow journalists to fact-check him as he made baseless claims of fraud as votes continued to be counted in key battleground states across the country.
MSNBC cut away from the president’s remarks mid-speech to allow anchor Brian Williams to correct Trump’s claim that he had “already” won the election.
“We are reluctant to step in, but duty-bound to point out, when he says ‘we did win this election, we’ve already won,’ that is not based in the facts at all,” Williams told viewers.
On ABC News, anchors cut in during remarks made by Vice President Pence directly after Trump’s to inform viewers that the president was currently trailing his opponent in both the popular vote and in Electoral College votes from states called by news networks.
“It’s a matter fact right now that, at this hour at least, Joe Biden has 221 electoral votes to the 213 electoral votes of Donald Trump, and in the popular vote Joe Biden is still leading the popular vote,” said ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.
Trump has baselessly alleged for weeks in various statements that mail-in voting, which was used by Americans in historic levels during Tuesday’s elections as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, is rife with fraud and represents a Democratic-led effort to steal the election.
Numerous political figures on both sides of the political spectrum condemned the president’s remarks early Wednesday morning following his address from the White House, calling his victory declaration premature and rejecting his allegations of fraud.