FACT CHECK: Did CNN Confirm That Donald Trump Will Be Arrested?

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

A video shared on Facebook claims CNN confirmed that former President Donald Trump “will be arrested.”

Verdict: False

CNN did not announce, report or confirm that Trump is set to be arrested. The claim originates from an opinion given by a guest on the network.

Fact Check:

Trump’s family business, the Trump Organization, is currently the subject of a civil investigation launched by the New York State Attorney General’s Office, according to the Associated Press. A judge recently ordered that Trump and two of his children must answer questions about the business under oath within 21 days of the order, though the ruling is likely to be appealed, the outlet reported.

Now, a video being shared on Facebook claims CNN reported that Trump is facing arrest. “CNN Confirms Trump WILL be ARRESTED,” reads the title of the video, which has been viewed over 30,000 times. In the video, which can also be found on YouTube, Canadian YouTuber Christo Aivalis commentates on a Feb. 15 conversation that aired on CNN’s “New Day” between host John Berman and David Cay Johnston, author of “The Big Cheat: How Donald Trump Fleeced America and Enriched Himself and His Family,” regarding Trump’s recent legal troubles.

“Donald Trump will be indicted on a state racketeering charge, I’m confident of that,” Johnston says at one point during the interview, adding that Trump could also face charges in Georgia for his alleged interference with vote counting in the state. These claims from Johnston appear to be the basis of the “CNN Confirms Trump WILL be ARRESTED” claim in the video’s title.

Johnston’s claims, however, are merely his own opinion. They do not represent a report from CNN or something that CNN endorsed or confirmed. A review of the clip and the transcript of Johnston’s interview with Berman reveals that he did not offer any specific source for his claims that Trump will soon face criminal charges. (RELATED: Is The Ottawa Police Force Exempt From The COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate?)

Check Your Fact reviewed CNN’s website and did not find any articles reporting that Trump would be arrested. Likewise, there are no other reports from other outlets such as The New York Times or The Washington Post that make such a claim.

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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