Bad Call

CNN: Trump Rushed Off Stage 'After He Falls'

Minutes after shots were fired at Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, CNN's live page said the Secret Service rushed him off stage after he fell.

First reported Jul 13, 2024 · CNN

Screenshot of the original report as published — Screenshot of the report as published: allsides.com (archived copy, Wayback Machine). Tap to open the source.

Who it helped: Neither party

Mostly breaking-news confusion, though critics on the right said it played down an attack on Trump.

What was reported

Minutes after shots were fired at Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, CNN's live page said the Secret Service rushed him off stage after he fell.

What actually happened

Trump went down because agents covered him after a gunman fired from a nearby rooftop, wounding Trump's ear and killing a rallygoer. CNN's live headline about a fall ran from about 6:22 p.m. ET. Within about an hour and a quarter, through intermediate 'incident' headlines, it changed to say Trump was rushed off stage after a shooting. A CNN spokesperson said the first headline went up before the details were confirmed. Other outlets also hedged early with phrases like 'loud noises.'

The proof

AllSides' timestamped timeline of CNN's changing headlines, and CNN's own statement that the first headline was published before details were confirmed.

The receipt. Copy this and paste it anywhere:

CNN: Trump Rushed Off Stage 'After He Falls' — Bad Call. AllSides' timestamped timeline of CNN's changing headlines, and CNN's own statement that the first headline was published before details were confirmed. Full file: https://www.thepropagandafiles.com/case/cnn-butler-trump-falls-headline/

Original reporting

AllSides: Timeline of the Trump shooting and CNN's evolving headlines (screenshots)https://www.allsides.com/blog/timeline-trump-shooting-and-cnn-s-evolving-headlines

Corrections, findings & records

Fox News: CNN says early headline preceded full confirmationhttps://www.foxnews.com/politics/cnn-initially-downplays-trump-assassination-attempt-earning-conservative-lawmakers-ire

Archived copies

Stories get edited after publication. These open the Internet Archive's earliest saved copy of each original.

Archived copy: AllSides: Timeline of the Trump shooting and CNN's evolving headlines (screenshots)https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://www.allsides.com/blog/timeline-trump-shooting-and-cnn-s-evolving-headlines