CNN’s most recognizable fact-checker has all but disappeared from the network’s airwaves, fueling questions about the sudden absence of one of its more familiar on-air personalities.
Daniel Dale, a Canadian journo who built a national profile as fact-checker of President Trump and other politicians, has not appeared on CNN television in more than three months despite continuing to publish regular fact-checks for the network’s digital platforms.
Dale’s absence from the airwaves, which was first noticed by journalist Tommy Christopher and cited by the Status newsletter, came after the announcement for the merger between CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Paramount Skydance, which is run by Trump ally David Ellison.
The timeline has sparked speculation that Dale was sidelined by corporate leadership at CNN’s parent company as a way to placate Trump, whose administration must give final regulatory approval for Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion acquisition of WBD.
CNN strongly denied that Dale such speculation from observers like Christopher.
“There is no truth to this. Daniel is a multiplatform reporter whose regular fact checks of the President are an important part of CNN’s political coverage. Like all CNN reporters, his on-air appearances are determined by the news of the day — any suggestion otherwise is false,” a CNN spokesperson told The Post.
The spokesperson added that Dale continues to regularly produce fact-checks for CNN.com as well as video content on other platforms.
Dale appeared on CNN broadcasts about a dozen times a month during Trump’s first term, the 2024 campaign and the opening weeks of Trump’s second administration, often popping up immediately after rallies, debates, speeches and major political events to evaluate the accuracy of the president’s claims in real time.
His last major on-air fact-check came on Feb. 25 following Trump’s State of the Union address, when Dale catalogued more than 20 false or misleading claims made by the president.
The Paramount-WBD merger was announced on Feb. 27.
Aside from a brief March appearance discussing AI-generated videos, Dale has largely been absent from CNN’s television programming.
The Post has sought comment from Dale, WBD and the White House.
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