Fox News Issues Cryptic Statement In Wake Of Calling Biden A 'Wannabe Dictator'  — Will Heads Roll?

Fox News has acknowledged wrongdoing after referring to President Joe Biden as a "wannabe dictator" in an onscreen banner Tuesday night.

The chyron appeared at the end of Fox News Tonight (hosted by Brian Kilmeade), just before 9 pm ET. The message read, in all capitals: "Wannabe Dictator Speaks at the White House After Having His Political Rival Arrested." It appeared under a split screen of Biden and former President Donald Trump, who earlier that day was arrested and pleaded not guilty to 37 felony accounts related to the handling of classified documents. The historic arraignment marked the first time a former U.S. president has been indicted on federal charges. 

"The chyron was taken down immediately and was addressed," a spokesperson for Fox News told CNN in a statement. Fox admitted the message was inappropriate and that it had taken steps to address the situation internally, but declined to elaborate on specifics.

Biden and his White House have repeatedly said that he does not interfere with Justice Department investigations and that the DOJ works independently of the White House.

The right-wing network went live with Trump's post-arraignment speech, something that CNN, MSNBC and others opted against. Fox has downplayed the severity of Trump's charges, instead shifting focus to Hillary Clinton's private email controversy and the classified documents found in Biden's Washington, DC office and Wilmington, Del. home. A special counsel has been appointed in that case and the President has promised to cooperate.

In the federal indictment voted by a grand jury of citizens in the Southern District of Florida and unsealed on June 9, the Justice Department alleged that Trump kept classified documents in scores of boxes stored at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach — including in a bathroom. Said documents allegedly contained information about U.S. "defense and weapons capabilities," retaliation scenarios in the event of an attack from Iran, and other highly sensitive topics.

The indictment also alleged that the former president "endeavored to obstruct the FBI and grand jury investigations and conceal retention of classified documents," and that he showed classified documents to others who lacked a security clearance.