Daniel Dale of CNN criticized NBC anchor Tom Llamas for not pushing back forcefully enough against repeated falsehoods in a pre–Super Bowl interview with Donald Trump. NBC aired preview clips and a 50+ minute extended segment, then published a fact-check. Dale said Llamas often replied with brief acknowledgments like “right” or “yeah,” letting many debunked claims go unchallenged on air. He cataloged more than a dozen misleading statements and pointed readers to a full fact-check.
CNN’s Daniel Dale Slams NBC’s Tom Llamas For Letting Trump’s Debunked Claims Go Unchecked In Pre–Super Bowl Interview
CNN Star Calls Out NBC Anchor Biffing Trump's 'Repeated Lies' And 'Rapid-Fire Dishonesty' In Pre-Super Bowl Interview
CNN senior reporter Daniel Dale publicly criticized NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas for allowing multiple demonstrably false or misleading statements by former President Donald Trump to pass without timely pushback during a high-profile pre–Super Bowl interview.
Background
Tom Llamas secured an exclusive interview with Trump that is scheduled to air on Super Bowl Sunday. NBC released preview clips ahead of the broadcast and aired an extended segment — more than 50 minutes long — on NBC News Now with Tom Llamas. NBC also published a fact-check article after the interview.
Dale’s Critique
Dale argued that, despite some pointed questions and sharp follow-ups from Llamas, the anchor often responded to repeated, long-debunked claims with brief acknowledgments — such as “right” or “yeah” — or did not challenge them on air. Dale wrote that Trump’s “rapid-fire dishonesty” can be difficult to manage in real time, but that viewers who watched clips or the interview live were left without immediate corrections on several important topics.
“Over and over, when the president repeated lies that were debunked months or years ago, Llamas responded simply ‘right’ or ‘yeah’ — or didn’t acknowledge them at all,” Dale wrote.
Examples And Aftermath
Dale highlighted specific moments, including an exchange about inflation where Trump repeated inaccurate figures and Llamas replied with a brief “right.” In another example, when Trump said only “very few” product prices had stubbornly refused to fall during his presidency, Llamas initially replied, “Yeah, very few. I get it,” which Dale suggested sounded like tacit acceptance of an inaccurate claim.
NBC’s post-interview fact-check addressed several false claims made during the conversation, and Dale compiled a list cataloging more than a dozen false or misleading statements. He directed readers to the full fact-check for detailed corrections.
Broader Debate
The episode renewed a wider discussion in journalism about how aggressively interviewers should correct high-profile figures in real time versus relying on post-interview fact checks. Supporters of live corrections argue they prevent misinformation from spreading in the moment, while others note practical limits such as time constraints, interview dynamics, and access considerations.
Regardless, Dale’s critique underscores the tension between securing exclusive interviews and ensuring viewers are given immediate clarity when interviewees repeat demonstrably false claims.
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