In a recent criminal trial involving former President Donald Trump, Fox News analyst Andy McCarthy has received praise from Trump for his legal analysis. Along with McCarthy, other Fox commentators like Jonathan Turley, Gregg Jarrett, and Mark Levin have also been acknowledged by Trump for their supportive quotes. Despite occasional references to individuals from CNN, MSNBC has been mostly ignored by Trump. The ban on cameras in the courtroom has given ample airtime to legal analysts on television, reminiscent of the O.J. Simpson murder trial era that made stars out of Jeffrey Toobin, Nancy Grace, and Greta Van Susteren.
While Trump highlights supportive opinions from legal experts, he also faces contradicting views from networks covering the trial such as Fox, MSNBC, and CNN. Chuck Rosenberg on MSNBC has emphasized that predicting the trial’s outcome is uncertain and that the jurors’ opinions are ultimately what matters. Some experts quoted in The New York Times have suggested that the case remains in the prosecution’s favor, while columnist Ross Douthat believes that the trial has been politically advantageous for Trump so far. MSNBC has been extensively covering Trump’s legal issues with former prosecutor Andrew Weissmann and other analysts.
Trump’s focus has been on Fox News commentators like Turley and McCarthy, who have been critical of the prosecution’s case. McCarthy, a former prosecutor and writer for National Review, has argued that prosecutors cannot prove their case against Trump. Turley has called the prosecution’s witness, Michael Cohen, biased and unreliable. On Fox, anchors like Martha MacCallum have highlighted differing opinions on the case, with some experts suggesting the case is strong while others disagree. Trump’s daily wraps on Fox have been a regular feature during the 5 p.m. ET hour, whereas MSNBC and CNN have taken different approaches in covering Trump’s legal proceedings.
As Trump continues to receive legal analysis and commentary from various sources, his selective citations during speeches have drawn criticism from fact-checkers. CNN commentators like Laura Coates, Elie Honig, and Tim Parlatore have been quoted by Trump, but CNN’s fact-checker has pointed out Trump’s cherry-picking of opinions. CNN’s Jake Tapper emphasized the importance of providing diverse viewpoints on the network. Overall, the trial has sparked a range of opinions from legal experts and media commentators, with Trump using their analyses to shape his narrative during the proceedings.
