Fox News is under fire for heavily editing an interview with former President Donald Trump during his recent appearance at a Bronx barbershop. The segment, part of the network's ongoing "Fox & Friends" series hosted by Lawrence Jones, showed Trump engaging with local customers and workers, some sporting "Make Barbers Great Again" shirts. However, new reports suggest the final version that aired on TV omitted several of Trump's rambling answers and false claims, sparking criticism about selective editing.
The issue gained prominence after Trump himself had criticized CBS's "60 Minutes" for allegedly editing Vice President Kamala Harris' interview to make her appear more polished. Ironically, it was Trump's own interview on Fox that received a similar treatment, raising questions about the network's editorial decisions.
CNN compared the televised version of the barbershop visit with a more complete video posted on Instagram, revealing that many of Trump's lengthy, off-topic comments were edited out. Trump frequently veered off subject, prompting participants to steer him back to their original questions. These interactions were mostly absent from the broadcast, which instead presented a more coherent and concise dialogue.
Fox's edits seemed aimed at improving Trump's image, removing moments where he strayed from the point or made inaccurate statements. In one instance, Trump exaggerated claims about Haitian migrants, falsely stating that 32,000 people had been dumped in Springfield, Ohio-a figure far exceeding actual local data. This, along with gross overstatements about crime in Aurora, Colorado, was cut from the televised version.
Perhaps the most glaring edit involved a question from an audience member about the potential for eliminating federal taxes. In the edited segment, Trump quickly responded, "There is a way." However, the original conversation shows that Trump only offered this response after a lengthy seven-minute digression on topics ranging from the Keystone Pipeline to transgender sports. The audience member had to repeatedly bring Trump back to the question before he provided a direct answer.
Fox's editing also removed some of Trump's more controversial remarks, including insults directed at the Wall Street Journal, a sister publication to Fox News. At one point during the visit, Trump told the barbershop audience not to listen to the "Wall Street jerks" or the Wall Street Journal, a moment that didn't make the final cut.
Moreover, Trump's praise for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whom he called a "very respected guy," was left out of the segment. The omission raised eyebrows given Trump's history of admiring authoritarian leaders. Fox declined to air this part of the conversation, a decision that underscores the network's handling of Trump's more polarizing remarks.
In response to inquiries, a Fox News spokesperson stated that all of Jones' barbershop interviews are pretaped and edited for time and clarity. The Bronx segment, which ran nearly an hour, was reportedly trimmed to fit the show's format. The network insisted that the cuts were made for brevity and to ensure the conversation flowed smoothly.
Trump's complaints about media editing have become a recurring theme in his rhetoric, with the former president frequently accusing outlets of manipulating footage to tarnish his image. His criticism of CBS's handling of the Kamala Harris interview followed this pattern. Trump claimed the network altered Harris' comments to make her appear more favorable, even going so far as to demand that CBS lose its broadcasting license. The Federal Communications Commission quickly dismissed the idea, with FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel affirming that the agency does not revoke licenses over content that political candidates may dislike.
Despite his grievances, Trump's own appearances on Fox have undergone similar editing processes. His recent interview on the network's "MediaBuzz" also involved selective cuts, particularly when he began repeating false claims about the 2020 election-a sensitive topic for Fox News, which is still dealing with defamation lawsuits related to its coverage of the election.
