Former President Donald Trump was arraigned on Tuesday on charges related to the retention of classified documents and CNN and MSNBC wanted to make sure you were aware of it.
A study of the two networks from 5 AM to midnight Eastern found that 95.21 percent of their non-commercial air time was devoted to this one issue. The two networks combined for 28 hours, 44 minutes, and 2 seconds of which 27 hours, 21 minutes, and 25 seconds was devoted to Trump or some aspect of the case.
As bad as those numbers are, they are much worse when looked at in an hourly breakdown. Starting in the 11 AM Eastern hour, 100 percent of CNN’s non-commercial time was spent on the case while MSNBC went exclusive at 10 AM.
The networks may defend themselves by saying the case is historic, but so is the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive, but the war in Ukraine received a measly 4 minutes and 9 seconds on Tuesday. Other news like the I-95 collapse in Philadelphia received 9 minutes and 39 seconds while White House Pride guests getting banned from the White House for going topless got nothing.
Of the two networks, MSNBC spent more time on Trump at 14 hours, 5 minutes, and 39 seconds out of a total 15 hours, 3 minutes, and 17 seconds or 93.62 percent of their on-air time. However, CNN’s percentage was higher at 96.96 percent or 13 hours, 15 minutes, and 46 seconds out of a total 13 hours, 40 minutes, and 45 seconds.
Occasionally, a Republican would be invited on to either defend Trump or criticize the idea of a double standard at the Department of Justice, but most of the coverage was either negative or explaining what the arraignment and eventual trial would like.
A complete breakdown of the combined coverage can be seen below.
1. Trump Indictment: 27 hours, 21 minutes, 25 seconds
2. I-95 Collapse: 9 minutes, 38 seconds
3. Book Promotion: The Power Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman: 9 minutes, 15 seconds
4. Book Promotion: The Right Call by Sally Jenkins: 8 Minutes, 2 Seconds
5. Inflation: 6 Minutes, 43 seconds
6. Book Promotion: Never Alone by Woniya Dawn Tibeault: 5 minutes, 32 seconds
7. Chris Christie CNN Town Hall Recap (Non-Trump parts): 5 minutes, 19 seconds
8. War in Ukraine: 4 minutes, 9 seconds
9. State of San Francisco: 4 minutes, 3 seconds
10. Wall Street: 3 minutes, 44 seconds
11. NYPD Commissioner Resigns/State of New York City: 3 minutes, 21 seconds
12. Pat Sajak Announces Retirement as Host of Wheel of Fortune: 2 minutes, 32 seconds
13. Denver Shooting: 2 minutes, 26 seconds
14. Turkey-Sweden-NATO Relations: 2 minutes, 24 seconds
15. Amazon Jungle Rescue: 2 minutes, 20 seconds
16. Trust in FBI, CIA, Judiciary Polling: 1 minute, 56 seconds
17. NBA Finals: 1 minute, 40 seconds.
18. Military Helicopter Crash in Syria: 1 minute, 19 seconds
19. LIV Golf/PGA Tour Merger: 1 minute, 11 seconds
20. Weather: 1 minute, 8 seconds
21. Florida Woman Shoots Neighbor Through Door: 1 minute, 2 seconds
22. MLB Recap: 38 seconds
23. Biden’s Root Canal: 36 seconds
24. Treat Williams’s Death: 32 seconds
25. NATO Drills: 29 seconds
26. Stanley Cup: 13 seconds
MSNBC and CNN truly are obsessed with Trump.
Methodology: Coverage of Trump was defined as anything related to the case itself, legal procedures, the judge, reactions and interviews from politicians, speculation on the case’s impact on the 2024 Primary, or Trump’s other legal predicaments.
