Fox News ditches Trump impeachment trial coverage to show The Five

The Daily Beast

"As CNN, MSNBC and, presumably millions of Americans, were still fixated on the deeply compelling and disturbing presentation by the Democratic House impeachment managers in the Senate trial, Fox News made the bold decision to cut away at 5 p.m. ET for its regularly scheduled program, The Five," says The Daily Beast's Matt Wilstein. "Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) was mid-sentence when moderator Jesse Watters abruptly broke in, introducing a panel that on this day, for some reason, also included Judge Jeanine Pirro." Timothy Burke adds: "Fox News not airing the impeachment trial, instead focusing on Mark Cuban. Freaking OAN is airing the impeachment trial." Meanwhile, The Five interrupted into a shouting match when panelist Juan Williams criticized his fellow co-hosts for "ignoring" the trial.

ALSO:

• Dan Rather wonders why the broadcast networks aren't interrupting regular programming for full coverage of the impeachment trial: "I know this might strike some as dated, but I think every network should be carrying the impeachment trial live, in its entirety," he tweeted. "This is about the future of our democracy."
• About 11 million watched the first day of Trump's second impeachment trial with MSNBC grabbing the largest audience
• Jeffrey Wright points out that he's able to watch full coverage of the impeachment on BBC in Britain
• Newsmax began its 5 p.m. ET hour with: "We have continuing coverage of a bipartisan betrayal of the American people"