Network says archival footage was “mistakenly used during the video sourcing process” in at least three broadcasts across two days
Fox News issued an on-air apology Sunday after the network aired footage from a December dignified transfer ceremony during its coverage of Saturday’s event at Dover Air Force Base, where President Trump wore a white branded baseball cap while saluting the flag-draped transfer cases of six Army Reserve soldiers killed in Kuwait during the ongoing conflict with Iran.
The president’s decision not to remove his $55 Trump Store “USA” hat during the ceremony had drawn immediate criticism online, including from former RNC chairman Michael Steele and California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Fox News initially aired the correct footage on Saturday afternoon. Less than an hour later, according to The Guardian, the network switched to video from a December ceremony in which the president was not wearing a hat. The December footage was used in at least three broadcasts across Saturday and Sunday, each time labeled as having been recorded on Saturday.
The Correction
On Sunday morning, Fox & Friends Weekend host Griff Jenkins addressed the error. “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,” Jenkins told viewers, adding that the network “deeply regret[s] the error.”
The same December footage appeared at least one more time on Fox News Sunday after Jenkins’ correction, again with an on-screen graphic identifying it as Saturday’s ceremony. The first lady, vice president, and second lady—all present at Saturday’s event—were not visible in the old footage, as they had not attended the December ceremony.
Updated Coverage
After the footage discrepancy was documented on social media by journalists and critics of the network, Fox updated its coverage Sunday afternoon to use Saturday’s footage. However, multiple outlets noted the updated footage had been edited to show only the flag-draped transfer cases, with no images of the president visible.
Former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger accused the network of intentional deception. A Fox News spokesperson attributed the error to “the video sourcing process.”
The mislabeled December video remained on the Fox News website as of Sunday evening. The president was photographed Sunday wearing the same hat while golfing in Florida.
The six soldiers honored at Saturday’s ceremony were Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, Capt. Cody Khork, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, and Sgt. Declan Coady.
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