Fox News' Blunder: TV Network Apologizes After Airing Old Footage of Donald Trump at Ceremony for Fallen Soldiers

Fox News issued a rare admission of error and an apology for airing archival footage of President Donald Trump during its coverage of a dignified transfer ceremony on March 8, in what critics said was an intentional avoidance of showing the commander-in-chief bucking protocol and wearing a baseball hat during the solemn occasion.

The network used a clip from December 2025 showing a hatless Trump, rather than footage from the actual March 7 event at Dover Air Force Base, where Trump wore a white Trump-branded USA baseball hat.

While the Fox News broadcast showed a hatless Trump saluting, the president actually wore the $55 branded cap throughout the mournful ceremony for six service members killed in Kuwait as a result of the president's war in Iran.

High-profile critics, including former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger and media personality Mehdi Hasan, accused the network of intentionally using old footage to "hide" Trump's choice of attire, which many viewed as disrespectful to the fallen.

“They ’made the mistake’ because they didn’t want to show Trump with a baseball cap on. Fox News rivals North Korean TV,” wrote Kinzinger on X.

Fox News anchor Griff Jenkins issued an on-air correction, stating the network "inadvertently aired video from an older dignified transfer" due to a mistake in the video sourcing process.

“We want to acknowledge a mistake made earlier on our program. During our coverage of yesterday’s dignified transfer, we inadvertently aired video from an older dignified transfer instead of the ceremony that took place yesterday,” Jenkins said. “We deeply regret the error and extend our respect and condolences to the service members’ families. We honor the sacrifice of those six American heroes.”

Fox News co-host and veteran Johnny “Joey” Jones expressed on social media that he was “embarrassed and ashamed” by the error, though he maintained it was an honest mistake.

Former RNC Chair Michael Steele was appalled, writing on X, “This fool has ABSOLUTELY no sense of dignity or appreciation for the moment. It is called the Dignified Transfer for a reason. Take your d--- hat off!!”

“I’m old enough to remember Fox and the right losing their s--- over pro-athletes kneeling during the anthem. How it was this grand disrespect for the troops. Trump posted about it quite a bit, that the NFL was woke. But now they make every excuse for his disrespect of the dead,” another X user wrote.

Anti-Trump influencer Ed Krassenstein posted his shock at the rare apology on X, writing. “Wow! Fox News was just forced to admit that they 'made a mistake' when they showed an old photo of Trump at a dignified transfer, likely because they were too embarrassed to show Trump wearing a baseball cap at the ceremony.”

The ceremony honored six members of the Iowa National Guard — Major Jeffrey O’Brien, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, Captain Cody Khork, Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens and Sgt. Declan Coady — who were killed in a drone strike.

Critics also noted that the updated footage later used by the network was edited to exclude Trump entirely from the frame.