Krishnan Guru-Murthy: Way to handle controversy around Trump is to tell truth

By Hannah Roberts, PA Entertainment Reporter

Channel 4 newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy said he will handle the “controversy” around Republican candidate Donald Trump during the broadcaster’s US election coverage by telling “the truth”.

On November 5th, Guru-Murthy, 54, will helm the channel’s first overnight US election programme since 1992 alongside former Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis.

Political pundits, and a number of famous faces, will the hosts in the Washington DC studio as the American public decides whether Democratic nominee Kamala Harris or Mr Trump becomes president.

Guru-Murthy said: “I think with Donald Trump, the most sensible thing, rather than branding him a certain thing, which might lead people to say ‘Well, you’re giving away your personal opinion’, is to stick to the facts.

“And the facts are that he has said racist things, he’s done sexist things, he’s been found guilty of criminal offences.

“He is facing further charges. So you can say all of those things, and you can make it very clear what the facts are about Donald Trump, you know, without worrying about it, without feeling the need to call him anything in particular as a presenter.

“I suspect (he) will be branded all sorts of things (by the guests in course of the debate)”

“I suppose the difference is that if you were doing that in a British political context, you’d probably be a bit more nervous about it,” he said.

“You’d be much more quick to do all the Ofcom compliance stuff.”

He added: “I think the way to handle all the controversy around Trump is to just tell people the truth about him and remind people what he has said and is on the record as saying, and then it’s all indisputable. You don’t need to say he’s an ‘X’ or a ‘Y’.”

Last month, a US judge agreed to postpone the sentencing of Mr Trump for his hush money conviction until after the November election.

It comes after the former president was back in court to fight to overturn a verdict finding him liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

Guests on the programme, America Decides: US Election Results, will include former prime minister Boris Johnson, Republican er and reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner, and Stormy Daniels, the woman at the centre of Mr Trump’s hush money trial following an affair between the two.

“Every booking on this show, so far, is there for really good reasons and for fundamentally serious reasons,” Guru-Murthy said.

“If you look at the issues that are being talked about, I mean the trans question is talked about a huge amount by very serious figures.

“And if you look at Trump rallies and Trump ers, they talk about it an awful lot.

“So Caitlyn Jenner is not a celebrity booking.

“You’re talking about somebody who is right at the heart of one of the culture war issues that are defining this election.”

The former Olympic athlete announced her transition in 2015 and has offered commentary and analysis on Fox News.

Guru-Murthy added: “Stormy Daniels, obviously, is hugely relevant in of character and history.”

He added: “She’s obviously got a huge amount to add in of what it’s like, what her life has been like, and what her life has been like as a result of everything that she’s been going through.”

America Decides: US Election Results will air on Channel 4 from 10pm on Tuesday November 5.

Channel 4 has also confirmed its coverage will be livestreamed in full on its YouTube channel.