When President Donald Trump announced the federal takeover of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Monday and the deployment of the National Guard to the city to address high crime rates and restore law, order, and public safety.
The coverage by major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) and cable news outlets varied in depth and approach, reflecting their editorial priorities and audience preferences.
ABC News: ABC reported the announcement promptly, with posts on X at 10:47 and 10:48 EDT on August 11, 2025, stating that Trump was placing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and deploying the National Guard. The coverage emphasized the stated goal of re-establishing public safety. ABC’s reporting was straightforward, focusing on the announcement itself without extensive commentary or analysis in the immediate posts.
CBS News: CBS News covered the announcement but did not provide detailed coverage plans in the immediate aftermath, based on available information. Like ABC, CBS likely relegated primary coverage to its digital or streaming platforms, such as CBS News 24/7, rather than disrupting linear television schedules. This aligns with CBS’s approach to other Trump-related events, such as the June 14, 2025, military parade, where coverage was streamed rather than broadcast.
NBC News: NBC News reported the decision at 10:45 EDT on August 11, 2025, via a post on X, noting Trump’s deployment of the National Guard and federal control of the D.C. police. The coverage was factual, highlighting the key elements of the announcement. Similar to ABC and CBS, NBC likely prioritized digital and streaming platforms (e.g., NBC News Now) over linear television for this event, consistent with its approach to the earlier military parade.
Cable News Context: Fox News provided more extensive coverage. Fox News emphasized the Trump administration’s law-and-order stance, with posts on X highlighting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s comments about National Guard deployment and FBI Director Kash Patel’s engagement with agents. Fox’s coverage framed the decision as a decisive response to crime, aligning with its audience’s preferences.
In contrast, CNN also reported the announcement but likely adopted a more critical tone, given its historical coverage of Trump’s policies.
The broadcast networks’ coverage was more restrained compared to cable news, reflecting their broader audience and commitment to less polarized reporting.
A 2025 study from the University of Pennsylvania’s Computational Social Science Lab noted that broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) tend to cover similar topics with interchangeable language, unlike the divergent and more polarized coverage on cable news (CNN, Fox News, MSNBC). This suggests ABC, CBS, and NBC focused on the factual aspects of the takeover—such as the executive action, National Guard deployment, and stated public safety goals—while avoiding the overtly partisan framing seen on cable networks.
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