By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-09-29 16:00:30 | Updated at 2024-09-30 05:17:24
13 hours ago
ABC has been accused of deliberately limiting coverage of the Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at a high-profile college football game.
The former president, 78, attended the highly-anticipated University of Alabama vs. University of Georgia college football game Saturday, despite major security measure concerns after two assassination attempts on his life in recent weeks.
Social media users took to X to blast ABC - claiming the network deliberately avoided showing Trump and only put him on the screen for a mere six seconds.
But damning footage shared by Trump advisor Dan Scavino Jr. showed the contrary - capturing the former president receiving a hero's welcome and tossing boxes of popcorn to fans as cheering crowds welcomed him to the stadium.
The Republican candidate was also broadcasted on the jumbotron - fist pumping football fans as they cheered ahead of the game.
ABC News has been accused of deliberately limiting coverage of the Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at a high-profile college football game
Trump appeared only very briefly during ABC's broadcast, according to critics
The former President attended the highly-anticipated University of Alabama vs. University of Georgia college football game Saturday, despite major security measures
Pointing out the differences in coverage, one viewer said: 'ABC does not cover President Trump. He was at Alabama vs Georgia football game. They showed him for 6 seconds. If you want more coverage, go to DanScavino on X.'
'It's RIDICULOUS that Disney-owned ABC is barely showing Trump at the game. One super fast camera shot, almost no mentions. Complete bias,' another viewer said.
Some users drew a comparison to coverage of popstar Taylor Swift's recent high-profile NFL appearances.
'Good old ABC only showed President Trump once. If Swifty had been there every other scan of crowd would have started with her. A man FOR ALL AMERICANS,' one fan wrote.
'It occurred to me after the game why they didn't show President Trump more on TV like they do Taylor Swift. They only showed him once in the private box, and that was from a distance.
'The game was on ABC, the David Muir, Linsey Davis network,' said another.
As the game ended with Alabama emerging with 41-34 win, outraged viewers questioned the network's motives.
'The game is on ABC and no mention of Trump. Can you believe it, not even mentioning President Trump is at the game. Maybe it's for security reasons,' one person said.
Another chimed in, 'ABC showing Trump for one second haha insane @abc.'
Trump looked on during the first quarter of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium
Trump, passes out concessions to fans as he attends the Alabama Crimson Tide versus Georgia Bulldogs college football game
The Secret Service set up walkways just for Trump to get in and out as he was swamped by fans looking on and cheering at times
Some defended the network, with one commenter asking: 'Why the hell would they show him more? It's a football game.'
ABC recently broadcasted and moderated the presidential debate between Trump and Harris - which he slammed as being bias in the Democrat's favor.
Trump also filed a defamation lawsuit against ABC, after the network's host George Stephanopoulos said that he had been 'found liable for rape.'
Meanwhile at the game, the former president evoked an eruption of applause from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) fans - typically a more conservative bunch - when he arrived before heading to an apparently 'bulletproof' glass-laden luxury box.
In the luxury glass-laden suite the former president was joined by Herschel Walker, Kid Rock, Hank Williams Jr. and more.
Protective barriers are a new staple at his public events following the multiple near-assassinations on the former president's life recently. He also had a massive Secret Service detail to escort him and look over the rowdy fans.
The Alabama Crimson Tide's critical showdown with the Georgia Bulldogs is one of the most-anticipated college games of the season, and regardless of the security implications, Trump didn't want to miss it.
Videos of him arriving in the arena show Trump throwing food to adoring fans who chant 'Four more years!'
Alabama Crimson Tide fans cheer before the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 28, 2024 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Trump speaks with Republican Senator Katie Britt at the Alabama v. Georgia college football game
Fans wait outside Bryant-Denny Stadium as security is heightened before the game
Then the fans transitioned into 'USA, USA, USA' chants while the former president posed for pictures and distributed handshakes.
The arena was a cauldron of football and MAGA passion when Trump made his appearance at the Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, which boasts a capacity north of 100,000 fans.
Waving and donning his typical blue suit with red tie combo - red being a strategic color represented on the uniforms of both teams - the former president then shuffled through his fenced-off walkway towards his ballistic glass box.
Trump was invited to the game by Alabama businessman Ric Mayers and was joined in the suite by Alabama senators Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, ALGOP chairman John Wahl and friends and family of Mayers.
