Rachel Maddow explains why MSNBC didn’t broadcast Trump’s post-arrest speech
Mr Trump was arraigned in federal court on Tuesday
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Your support makes all the difference.MSNBC's Rachel Maddow appeared on air following Donald Trump's federal arraignment in Florida to explain why the network would not televise his post-indictment speech.
She said the network won't knowingly broadcast lies.
"We do not intend to carry Trump’s remarks live," she said on Tuesday. "As we have said before in these circumstances, there is a cost to us as a news organisation to knowingly broadcast untrue things."
Mr Trump was indicted on 37 federal charges stemming from his handling and storage of sensitive government documents after his presidential term concluded.
The charges stemmed from the FBI's raid on Mar-a-Lago last year, during which classified documents were found in boxes stashed away even after the former president had been asked to return them.
MSNBC's decision stands as an obvious contrast — likely intentionally — to CNN's much-maligned Trump Town Hall event.
Mr Trump's comments during the town hall included a typical longwinded insistence that he actually won in 2020 and more insults hurled at E Jean Carroll. He also called the Captiol riot a "beautiful day" and said he would pardon the January 6 defendants.
CNN was eviscerated on both traditional and social media after the broadcast. The backlash was so severe that Anderson Cooper had to go live the following day and try to make the case that the town hall was actually good for the country.
Mr Trump surrendered to federal authorities on Tuesday, after which he was booked and fingerprinted. His lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. The former president's "body man," Walt Nauta, was also charged in connection to the documents.
This is the second time Mr Trump has been indicted in 2023; earlier this year he was charged in New York in connection to his alleged "hush money" payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Tuesday's indictment may not be the last time he answers charges in a courthouse, either.
Mr Trump is facing a separate probe coming out of Fulton County, Georgia, where he is being investigated for actions he took attempting to "flip" the state's election results in 2020.
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