Fox Cuts Off Ranting Trump Then Mocks: ‘He’s Still Talking!’
'Beep! Boop!' SIGN OF THE TIMES
Fox News unceremoniously dumped out of an interview with Donald Trump while the former president was mid-rant Thursday following the Democratic National Convention.
He immediately called into the network after his rival Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech, and after about 10 minutes of studiously listening to his complaints and exclamations, the hosts wrapped things up rather abruptly with the former president in order to transition to live reaction elsewhere.
Trump, after raising his voice while speaking about an “invasion” not only at the U.S.-Mexico border, but the border with Canada as well, neared the end of his phone-in by praising Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and—in an about-face—Brian Kemp, Georgia’s Republican governor.
Kennedy “was treated very unfairly by the Democrats,” said Trump, who is reportedly set to receive Kennedy’s endorsement Friday in Arizona.
Trump’s discussion of the Democratic primary was punctuated frequently by anchor Bret Baier chiming in with words of affirmation—a common signal given by interviewers that time is running low.
The former president seeming to accidentally press the buttons on his own phone.
"Trump is calling in to Fox and he keeps hitting buttons on the phone," reported Colorado Sun columnist Mario Nicolais. "Beep! Boop!"
As Trump went on about Kennedy not being welcomed by many in the Democratic Party, co-anchor Martha MacCallum interjected: “That’s why we saw a different night tonight.”
Trump railed to Fox News Bret Baier about the many complaints he had with Harris' speech as Baier and co-host Martha MacCallum repeatedly tried to cut in and ask him a question.
"She's not having success," Trump declared. "I'm having success."
Baier and MacCallum then gave a simultaneous “thank you” to Trump, with Baier adding, “We appreciate that live feedback.”
“OK,” Trump replied. “Thank you very much.”
MacCallum then kicked coverage to a live broadcast of Gutfeld!, where the namesake host began by acknowledging the quick end to the call.
“That wasn’t my fault, Donald Trump!” Gutfeld said. “He’s still talking, by the way,” he joked.
Meanwhile on social media, viewers noted Trump seemed to be having less success with his own telephone.
"Trump is calling into Fox, lying, saying Harris is 'going to give a tax increase of 4 to 5 times what people and companies are paying right now,'" wrote Vanity Fair correspondent Brian Stelter. "And he seems to be accidentally pressing buttons on his phone while he speaks."
"Holy c---," wrote liberal commentator Brian Krassenstein. "Trump called into Fox News just now, all flustered and pushing buttons on his phone after Kamala Harris’ speech. Fox Hosts then had to cut him off."
The Democratic political group American Bridge 21st Century called out Trump for comments he made between the beeps.
"A confused Trump forgets Kamala Harris did talk about China, the border, and the housing crisis in her speech as he fumbles with the buttons on his phone," the group wrote on X. "Go to sleep Donald."
