Trump, Fox News Spread Misinformation about NOLA Attack

Wednesday morning, Fox News (Right bias) reported that the New Orleans suspect's rental truck crossed the southern border into the U.S. two days before the attack. That detail was false, and it was followed by some, including President-elect Trump, suggesting the suspect was an unauthorized immigrant when he was actually a U.S. citizen. 

The Details: CNN Business (Lean Left bias) reported that eight minutes after Fox mentioned the truck crossed into Eagle Pass, Texas, Trump posted a statement saying, “Criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country.” Some of Trump's allies followed suit, referencing unauthorized immigration as the cause of the attack. According to CNN, Fox walked back its report half an hour later, saying the truck was in Eagle Pass two months ago rather than two days, and that it was driven by someone else at the time. On Wednesday afternoon, a Fox anchor clarified that the suspect did not cross over the border from another country. However, Trump and other Republican lawmakers have continued to discuss the border. At the time of this writing, Fox has not commented on their initial misreporting. 

How the Media Covered It: Outlets on the left and center covered Trump and Fox News' misinformation, while outlets on the right generally did not. The Telegraph (Lean Right bias) called Fox's claims “unsubstantiated” while many outlets on the right reported Trump's comments without context. Some on the right emphasized Trump's national security plans.