More than 100 of Donald Trump’s inaccurate statements are to be dissected by Channel 4 to coincide with his state visit, in what it described as “the longest uninterrupted reel of untruths, falsehoods and distortions ever broadcast on television”.
The US president is expected to arrive in the UK on Tuesday night. He will enjoy a huge amount of special treatment as ministers attempt to preserve the special relationship, including a ceremonial welcome at Windsor Castle for Trump and his wife, Melania.
However, Channel 4 is dedicating its Wednesday night schedule to unpicking what it describes as the falsehoods expressed by Trump since taking office in a broadcast that insiders said would last several hours.
Trump v The Truth, starting at 10pm, is expected to cover everything from the president’s false boast that his administration had “stopped $50m being sent to Gaza to buy condoms for Hamas”, to his debunked claim to have sent Ukraine more than $300bn (£220bn) in wartime aid.
Smaller but similarly inaccurate claims about the price of eggs and the impact of immigration are also expected to be examined. The programme could also cause difficulties during the trip should it seek to examine his claims over his relationship with the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump denied writing an illustrated message to Epstein and is suing the Wall Street Journal over its report of the document, which has since been published.
“Donald J Trump loves making history,” said Ian Katz, Channel 4’s chief content officer. “So, on Wednesday Channel 4 will do just that: we’ll show what we believe to be the longest uninterrupted reel of untruths, falsehoods and distortions ever broadcast on television.
“We hope it will remind viewers how disorientating and dangerous the world becomes when the most powerful man on Earth shows little regard for the truth. And if President Trump cares to watch along after the state banquet, he may even clear up a few misconceptions.”
It marks the latest attempt by Channel 4 to return to its disruptive roots, as it battles for relevance in a fast-changing media landscape in which younger audiences are shifting away from traditional broadcasters towards digital platforms.
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Channel 4 has repeatedly highlighted its decision to broadcast Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, which was dropped by the BBC, stating it “risked creating a perception of partiality”. Channel 4 also faced criticism for the documentary 1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story, which followed the pornography star for six months.
Katz recently criticised what he called an “increasingly timid broadcasting environment” in the UK.