Donald Trump has lashed out at a Fox News host after she disputed a claim by Alina Habba, the former president’s lawyer, that President Joe Biden was behind the hush-money case.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Fox News’ Shannon Bream of being “naive” after she spoke with Habba Wednesday. In the interview, Habba—who is not representing Trump in the hush-money case—called the trial a “Biden show.” Bream responded that the indictment against Trump, which was brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, was not a federal case.
In March 2023, following an investigation by the Manhattan DA’s Office, Trump was indicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in relation to money he arranged for his then-lawyer Michael Cohen to pay adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep an alleged affair she had with Trump a secret in the run-up to the 2016 election.
The $130,000 sum was listed in Trump’s company records as Cohen’s “legal fees,” which prosecutors suggest was part of an unlawful attempt to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential race. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and denies the affair.
On May 29, the same day Bream pushed back against Habba’s claim, jury deliberations in the case began. Trump is at risk of being the first current or former U.S. president in history to be convicted of a crime.
“I never knew Shannon Bream was so ‘naive.’ In her interview with my Representative, Alina Habba, Shannon just suggested that Crooked Joe Biden was not involved in my Show Trial. HOW STUPID,” Trump wrote.
He continued: “Not only is he involved, he is virtually leading it, and all of the other Trials as well—Meaning, his people, because he’s not mentally sharp enough to lead anything! Just take a look at the DOJ/White House Thugs involved, and everything else. Biden is incompetent, and feels that Weaponization is the only way he can win. He’s counting on the Shannon Breams of the World to get him there. Bad day for Shannon!”
In a follow-up post, Trump said Bream and fellow Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto, who has frequently pushed back against and criticized the former president, should host a show together.
“The Ratings wouldn’t be good, because they’re anti-MAGA, but it’s not all about the Ratings,” Trump wrote.
Newsweek has contacted Fox News for comment via email.
During her interview with Bream, Habba said: “Joe Biden, unfortunately, can’t really do anything in office. So he’s got to use the same means as somebody who’s just trying to have a quick slip-and-fall and make money. And that is frankly what we’re seeing right now. This is exactly a Biden show because he’s got to distract the American people.”
Bream responded that the president was not responsible for the hush-money charges against Trump.
“It’s a state trial,” she said. “It’s Alvin Bragg. Whether you think there’s a political motive for him, it’s not connected to the DOJ. I mean, the feds passed on these election charges.”
Habba said, “Shannon, you should look at how many logs they have of state officials—[New York Attorney General] Letitia James, [Fulton County District Attorney] Fani Willis—visiting the White House, and then tell me that this is not a Biden trial.”
Bream replied, “The feds passed on this case is the point I’m making.”
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.