Trump’s legal battles unfold on TV screens as the nation witnesses clashes in court
Former President Donald Trump’s legal battles are under the spotlight. Cable networks feature a split screen of his proceedings in Manhattan for the hush-money case trial and the Supreme Court’s debate on presidential immunity. The outcomes could impact prosecution timing, notably in the 2020 election interference case. Media coverage varies on balancing these high-profile cases, highlighting the significance of Trump’s dual legal focus.
Former President Donald Trump‘s courtroom campaign is on full display on Thursday, with cable networks doing a split screen of the former president’s dueling proceedings.
Trump is in Manhattan for the trial in his hush-money case, while the Supreme Court is hearing arguments in the former president’s presidential immunity case. While it is not the first time Trump’s cases have overlapped, it is the first time Trump has been the key figure in both proceedings despite not being present at one of them.
In Trump’s case regarding presidential immunity, the Supreme Court’s decision could have ramifications on when and if some of the prosecutions against the former president can proceed – most notably his 2020 election interference case in Washington, D.C.
The two high-profile cases, with the presumptive Republican presidential nominee at the center of it, have seen the media take different approaches on how to balance the dueling proceedings.
CNN anchor Kaitlin Collins remarked the literal split-screen between Trump’s two cases was “remarkable” ahead of the Supreme Court’s oral argument.
“We talk about split-screen a lot, but this is really remarkable to see Donald Trump in a Manhattan courthouse and also his attorneys — his other attorneys going into the Supreme Court,” Collins said on CNN on Thursday.
The cable network gave a literal split screen, within the media limitations imposed by the Supreme Court and Manhattan court, offering live audio of the Supreme Court’s oral arguments and a live blog with updates.
The former president’s rallies were regularly carried by CNN during the 2016 campaign, but in recent years the network has declined to carry most of his rallies and has cut away from speeches it has shown. With the court cases, the network is giving the arguments before the Supreme Court their full attention, and has aired Trump’s brief remarks outside of the courtroom in Manhattan.
Fox News Channel also attempted to juggle the two court cases, offering up a similar live blog stream of the hush money case on-screen prior to the Supreme Court’s oral arguments. Once the arguments in the high court began, the network cut away from the text updates to carry audio from the Supreme Court with images of the speakers.
Later a picture-in-picture of a camera outside of the Manhattan courtroom where Trump is was placed on the screen.
MSNBC, C-SPAN, and other networks carried special coverage of the Supreme Court proceedings but did not attempt a split-screen with the hush money case — where the court has banned audio or video from being broadcast.
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The former president has taken advantage of the extra media attention, after he was barred from being excused from proceedings in the hush money case by the judge to attend his Supreme Court case. He ranted against the judge’s decision to reporters on Thursday.
“I should be there, but he wouldn’t allow it to happen,” Trump said. “I think he puts himself above the Supreme Court, which is unfortunate, isn’t it?”
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