CNN anchor Jake Tapper took aim at MSNBC with a pointed on-air remark Thursday after it was revealed that the liberal network was using an LED screen to cover the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee from their studio in New York City.
“We are here live, as opposed to some other networks that just have a big LED, who shall remain nameless,” Tapper said during an interview with Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio.
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, who has been leading the network’s coverage of the GOP convention this week, has repeatedly appeared on air with the backdrop of the convention behind her, leading casual viewers to assume she was on the ground in Milwaukee. But Maddow and many of her colleagues, including Nicolle Wallace, Jen Psaki, Joy Reid and other MSNBC anchors have not been inside the convention hall or even in the same city, according to the Times report.
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Rachel Maddow uses a green screen to cover GOP convention from NYC, per the New York Times. (Screengrab: MSNBC)
“Instead, they were broadcasting from a studio in Midtown Manhattan, as a live feed of the convention floor was projected onto an LED screen behind them,” the Times report reads.
“The arrangement — which several veteran television news producers described as unorthodox — has created something of a trompe l’oeil effect. A casual glance at the screen would suggest that MSNBC’s top anchors were covering the convention in person,” the article continues, using a French phrase referring to highly realistic-looking but visually deceptive artwork.
MSNBC did previously announce last week that Maddow and other top political anchors would not travel to Milwaukee for the convention. Instead, the network sent Stephanie Ruhle, who hosts “The 11th Hour,” and daytime host Katy Tur, per the Times.
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Screengrab: Rachel Maddow and Jen Psaki cover the GOP convention on MSNBC from New York City. (Screengrab: MSNBC)
An MSNBC spokesman told the Times that at “the top of every broadcast, hosts identify themselves as being in New York or at MSNBC headquarters.” But critics say the live video feed of a bustling convention behind them sends a different impression to viewers tuning in throughout the night.
Tapper made the comment moments before former President Trump accepted the 2024 Republican nomination.
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MSNBC did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.