A recent segment on Fox News featuring Donald Trump’s surprise visit to a Bronx barbershop has raised eyebrows for its striking resemblance to a campaign advertisement. During the visit, Trump interacted with Black and Hispanic patrons, many wearing “Make Barbers Great Again” shirts, as part of “Fox & Friends” co-host Lawrence Jones’ ongoing interview series.
However, the televised version of Trump’s visit was heavily edited, omitting many of his meandering comments and false claims, CNN reports. The result was a streamlined presentation that obscured Trump’s frequent digressions and misleading statements.
The network analyzed a longer video of the barbershop visit, shared on Instagram, and highlighted significant discrepancies between this unedited footage and the version aired on “Fox & Friends.” The edits conveniently removed numerous exaggerations and distortions, especially ironic given Trump’s recent criticism of CBS for editing an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump has accused CBS of manipulating the Harris interview to make her look more favorable, demanding the unedited transcript—a claim that Fox News eagerly amplified. Ironically, Fox’s own editing of Trump’s barbershop visit appeared to be a masterclass in image management, conveniently slicing out the very questionable remarks that might undermine his narrative.
For instance, Trump claimed that “they just dumped 50,000 people — 32,000 migrants from another country” in Springfield, Ohio. However, local data shows the actual number of migrants is far lower. The broadcast also excluded Trump’s inflated claims about crime in Aurora, Colorado.
A particularly telling moment occurred when an audience member asked Trump about eliminating federal taxes. In the edited segment, it seemed Trump answered immediately. In reality, his response came only after a lengthy diversion, during which the audience member had to repeatedly steer the conversation back to his original question.
Fox also cut out some of Trump’s more controversial comments, such as his derisive remarks about the Wall Street Journal, advising the audience to “not listen” to the “Wall Street jerks.” Additionally, Trump’s praise for Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, reflecting his tendency to align with authoritarian figures, was left on the cutting room floor.
A Fox News spokesperson explained that all of Jones’ barbershop segments are pre-taped and edited for time and clarity. The right-wing network said the Bronx segment ran for nearly an hour, and the edits were made to fit the broadcast.
Trump’s recent appearance on “MediaBuzz” also featured similar editing, particularly when he began to repeat false claims about the 2020 election. The abrupt cut during his comments about January 6 suggested that Fox is still navigating the repercussions of defamation lawsuits stemming from its 2020 coverage.
In summary, Fox News’ decision to edit Trump’s interview raises significant questions about the integrity of the broadcast and the network’s efforts to present his messages in a more coherent light.