Major Network Blurs Out “Text Trump” Banner During Speech To Hurt Fundraising

This week, ABC News is making headlines in precisely the way a news organization doesn’t want to. Reports are emerging that during clips of 45th President Donald Trump’s post-arraignment Mar-a-Lago address the network’s editors blurred out the “Text Trump to 88022” banner on Trump’s podium. It’s a move that many have criticized as hamstringing his fundraising efforts.

The blurring, noted by Wojciech Pawelczyk who shared the video on Twitter, is prominent in ABC News‘ YouTube coverage of Trump’s speech.

ABC News blurred out “TEXT TRUMP TO 88022” pic.twitter.com/goSD5NgrcD

— Wojciech Pawelczyk (@Woj_Pawelczyk) April 5, 2023

WATCH: TRUMP SAYS ‘ONLY CRIME I’VE COMMITTED IS TO FEARLESSLY DEFEND OUR NATION’ IN MAR-A-LAGO SPEECH

According to left-leaning outlet The Daily Beast, the move allegedly stemmed from a “misunderstanding.”

“State-Run Media at Work,” The Gateway Pundit wrote on Twitter. “ABC Blurs Out ‘TEXT TRUMP AT 88022’ on Podium During Tuesday’s Speech to Block Donations to His Campaign.” The outlet placed imagery side by side showing that a fundraising podium banner for Biden was clearly presented.

State-Run Media at Work: ABC Blurs Out “TEXT TRUMP AT 88022” on Podium During Tuesday’s Speech to Block Donations to His Campaign – But They Didn’t Blur the Ad for Joe Biden!https://t.co/NluQepFUbq

— The Gateway Pundit (@gatewaypundit) April 5, 2023

Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk noted in a tweet, that in spite of ABC‘s machinations, as of April 5th Trump had raised over $10 million since his indictment.

ABC News blurs out “TEXT TRUMP to 88022” in its coverage of Trump’s post-arraignment speech as reports suggest the Trump campaign has raised over $10 million since his indictment. pic.twitter.com/nCrE3XzSS5

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) April 5, 2023

Several commenters suggested that the action amounted to ‘election interference’ by the news outlet owned by the Walt Disney Corporation. Commentator Amuse even suggested via Twitter to the Federal Elections Commission that this could constitute “unreported campaign contributions to Biden.”

Trump’s former attorney Jenna Ellis concurred, “This is election interference.”

Many have compared the obviously biased action to the coverage on MSNBC in which Rachel Maddow simply cut away from Trump and spoke over the video.

Maddow cuts from Trump speech:

“So far he is just giving his normal list of grievances. We don’t consider that necessarily newsworthy and there is a cost to us as a news organization of knowingly broadcasting untrue things.” pic.twitter.com/yDrLdtYxGu

— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) April 5, 2023

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