Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 06:53 pm
Good news, loyal readers! There will be nothing about the Fox “News” love affair with Donald Trump this week.
APRIL FOOL!!!
Don’t blame me; blame Fox & Friends.
While I loathe Fox & Friends, I still watch it every morning. Maybe because I was a News Writer on the highest-rated morning in Toronto for a decade. Maybe because I simply cannot believe how much disinformation the Morning Happy Hate Fest disseminates, starting with the Trumpster.
Every Monday — years before he decided to shill for President — those Foxy Friends would take Trump’s phone call where he would expound on whatever crackpot idea came into his head. Just like he continues to do on the campaign trail.
Now the country, and Fox, is stuck with him even though Fact Checkers Prove That 91% of the Things Donald Trump Says Are False. Entire books could be written on How News Networks Should Cover Someone Like Donald Trump, as the Daily Beast Editor [notes]: Fox News Hosts Give Donald Trump ‘Sort Of Backrubs’ On National TV.
This reporter gets a tingle of schadenfreude up his leg to read this OPINION: Fox News a bully that just can’t take it:
For at least the past five years, both Trump and Fox News have had a vitriolic and sick obsession with the idea that President Obama was born in Kenya, and therefore isn’t a natural born U.S. citizen and is ineligible for the presidency (aka the “birther” conspiracy). During the 2012 presidential campaign, Fox went full birther. In just a few weeks in spring 2011, for instance, the network devoted more than 50 segments and more than two hours of air time to the subject. Trump frequently received a free platform to promote himself and his outrageous, unsupported speculations about the location of Obama’s birthplace.
These segments were all over the Fox network, featuring Fox hosts such as Sean Hannity, Steve Doocy, Jeanine Pirro, Brian Kilmeade, Greta Van Susteren, and others.
[…]
Fox was perfectly happy all these years to give Trump and others a platform to rant about their weird and unfounded obsessions, which often involved the trashing of innocent Americans. None of this (according to Fox) was unbecoming for a presidential candidate. Trump’s criticism of Fox, however, is unacceptable. Really, Fox? After all the hateful innuendo you’ve broadcast, including character attacks on all sorts of Americans, can you truly expect us to sympathize because Trump had the audacity to train his fire on you?
The 3-hour Fox and Friends is the Fox “News” Channel’s longest running apologists for Trump Trash Talk. In fact, they still take his phone calls even though Trump’s Abortion Comments Demonstrate The Importance Of Taking Away His Phone Privileges. Here they are defending the indefensible:
Fox’s Doocy on Trump’s Abortion Answer:
‘He Only Became a Politician 6 or 7 Months Ago’
Brian Kilmeade said this morning that a “more experienced candidate… would have said I’m not here to talk about abortion.”
Doocy pointed out “those are largely political questions,’ and while Trump should maybe be able to answer them, “he only became a politician 6 or 7 months ago.”
Ainsley Earhardt said that’s why people like Trump so much––he’s not part of the establishment.
However, the Foxy Friends had divided loyalties when Donald Trump defends embattled campaign manager Corey Lewandowski — by attacking Megyn Kelly on “Fox & Friends”. One of them even shouts ‘That’s Not True’: Fox’s Kilmeade Pushes Back After Trump Attacks Megyn Kelly Again. Watch, read, and chuckle along:
Last night Kelly had on former Breitbart editor Ben Shapiro. Fox & Friends played a clip of him trashing Trump and Lewandowski as liars, and Trump reacted by calling this “another Megyn Kelly hit.”
Ainsley Earhardt pointed out that was Shapiro, not Kelly. Trump said, “It was her show, and frankly, you can have Megyn Kelly, but it was her show.”
Kilmeade defended Kelly and said she does a good job, but Trump said, “Maybe she does a good job for you, she doesn’t do a good job for me. And let me tell you, if she wouldn’t report on Donald Trump, her ratings would go down in half.”
Kilmeade correctly pointed out that Kelly’s ratings are not only fine, but they were “through the roof before you ran for president.”
But, as they say on Tee Vee, THAT’S NOT ALL!!! Before we move onto The Lewandowki Affair, here are several of the other ways F&F humiliated themselves this week:
Steve Doocy, Cardinal Dolan Spread Unfounded Rumor: ISIS To Crucify Catholic Priest • Ainsley Earhardt, Mother Of Slain Policeman Use His Death To Advance Anti-Immigrant Message • The Only Person in the World Who Liked Batman vs. Superman Was Fox News Movie Critic • Fox Hosts Lament Health Care For Undocumented Immigrants, Even Though It Saves Money
Fox & Friends are the foxiest.
FURTHER FOX FONE FUNNIES: This week The O’Reilly Factor Grants Trump A Primetime Phone Interview As He Faces Criticism For Phone Interviews, while Fox’s Alan Colmes Criticizes Media Networks For Trump’s Special Phone Privileges.
No matter. There will always be line open for him at Fox & Friends.
TRUMP TENSIONS: The philosophical split at Fox “News” over the crazy candidacy of Donald Trump — which is mirrored by the fractures in the brain dead Fox audience — is most obvious on The Five. That’s only appropriate because The Five is where those tensions first became obvious. FFF was first to report it began last year when Perino Flips Out on Bolling for Defending Trump: You’re Just Trying to Get On His Show!
That’s when pro-Perino and pro-Bolling factions started to snipe at each other on Fox “News” comment threads. Since then Bully Boy Bolling has proven he is unable to moderate his biased enthusiasm for The Trumpster, defending the indefensible weekly:
Fox’s Bolling: Trump Should Have
Just Dodged the Abortion Question
Trump on Abortion Flap: ‘Could
Be That I Misspoke But This
Was a Long Convoluted Subject’
It’s not just Trump. Bolling has proven he is just as capable spouting slanderous stupidly on any number of topics:
Fox Host: Obama “Doesn’t Believe
We Should Be Fighting The War On
Terror And Let Alone Winning It”
Bolling is just one of … err … The Five, where the greatest truth ever spoken on Fox “News” was blurted out this week:
Gutfeld Gets Brutally Honest About
Fox’s Network-Wide ‘Tension’ Over Trump
Fox Host: Donald Trump Has
Created “Internal Strife” At Fox News
Read & watch where Gutfeld gets all nostalgic for the Good Ol’ Days — when their only enemy was the President of the United States and not each other:
GREG GUTFELD (CO-HOST): What we’re doing is we’re pointing out this fractured strife among the Republican Party. But us pointing that out is like Charlie Sheen pointing out your drug habit. We, as a show, are facing internal strife. From a micro-level to a macro-level. You can look at conservative websites like Breitbart, how much that has fallen apart since the Trump nomination. You can look at The Five. On any given day, we have tension over this nomination, over this candidate. You can look at our network as a whole, which is — don’t look at me. But you can look at this network, where we are having issues within a family of anchors over this stuff. You can look at the Party. So at every area where there is conservatism, there is strife. And I just remember the good old days where we could all unite against the hatred for Obama. When it was so easy.
ERIC BOLLING (CO-HOST): Oh, it’ll be back.
GUTFELD: It’ll be back. But somehow, Trump has shattered that, and now we’re sitting here, we’re grappling with this internal strife and we have no way to get out of this.
It will be back they promised and FFF will hold them to it.
Regardless, Fox is always willing to give Trump a platform to pump out his lies. Fox’s Greta Van Susteren to Host Town Hall With Trump This Sunday, while Hannity is promoting an hour-long sit-down with the liar for Monday.
THE TRUMP DUMP: The rest of the Trump stories on Fox this week fell under 4 separate rubrics: Pro-Trump, anti-Trump, pro-Lewandowski and anti-Lewandowski. Let’s get rid of them quickly so we can look at some other things.
PRO-TRUMP: Because that’s what Fox “News” does best.
Fox’s Andrea Tantaros Blames Trump’s Abortion Comments on Clinton — Somehow • Does Howard Kurtz Think Some Of Trump’s Attacks On Kelly Were Fair? • Fox’s D-List Celebs For Trump: Scott Baio And Robert Davi Edition • Trump Supporter Defends Attack On Heidi Cruz’ Looks As ‘Satire’ From A ‘Man’s Man’ • Ben Carson Blames Trump’s Abortion Comments On MSNBC Not Giving Him The Topic Beforehand
ANTI-TRUMP: You’ve got to look hard to find any, but in this regard Megyn Kelly never disappoints, appearing at times to be fighting a one-woman campaign against the xenophobic misogynist.
Megyn Kelly Confronts Trump Spox:
How Can He Win When So Many
Women Disapprove of Him?
PRO- LEWANDOWSKI: The biggest category of Fox “News” Trump stories this week:
Michelle Fields Evacuates Apartment After Fox, Buzzfeed Accidentally Publish Her Address • Fox’s Outnumbered Hosts Defend Corey Lewandowski: ‘How Important is Evidence?’ • Fox Spins Trump Into The Victim Of His Campaign Manager’s Battery Charge • Conservative Media Figures Dismiss and Downplay Corey Lewandowski’s Battery Charge • Hannity Downplays Battery Charges Against Trump Campaign Manager: “I Just Don’t See It” • Andrea ‘Punch’ Tantaros Praises Trump For ‘Rightfully’ Backing Manager Lewandowski • Hannity Helps Promote Trump’s Lewandowski Lie That He Never Grabbed Reporter Fields • Female Fox Host Praises Trump’s ‘Loyalty’ For Sticking With Arrested Campaign Manager • Fox Business Invites Discredited Trump Supporter Roger Stone To Defend Trump’s Campaign Manager Accused of Battery • Fox News Guest Criticizes FL Prosecutor For Bringing Charges Against Trump Campaign Manager • Varney Won’t Let Up Pressing ‘Very Uncomfortable’ Meghan McCain To Justify Lewandowski • Fox Guests Downplay Trump Campaign Manager’s Battery Charge: Politics Is “A Contact Sport” • Fox Guest Dismisses Michelle Fields’ Injuries As Part Of Being A Reporter • Fox’s Newt Gingrich Dismisses Lewandowski Battery Charge As “Very Partisan Politics”
ANTI-LEWANDOWSKI: There are a few people at Fox smart enough to say what rational people are thinking:
Fox Hosts Agree, Donald Trump Should Fire Corey Lewandowski • Fox’s Carlson Challenges Trump Surrogate’s Claim That Lewandowski’s Battery Charge Is Part Of “Daily Life On A Presidential Campaign” • ‘How Do You Know?!’: Fox’s Carlson Clashes with Guest Downplaying Lewandowski Incident • The Kelly File Shreds Trump’s Defense Of Corey Lewandowski • Dana Loesch Responds to Scolding from Greta Over Lewandowski: This Is About ‘Human Decency’ • Trump Campaign Manager Corey Lewandowski Backs Out Of O’Reilly Appearance
Let’s move on, shall we?
GERALDO GUFFAWS: Last week Friday Fox Follies warned readers “I would advise getting your snark on early. Based on Week One, in which he stood around and smiled while his partner danced around him, I think he’ll be voted off Dance Island very soon.”
Too late!!! That ship sailed. All of ‘Merka was repulsed when Geraldo Does Epically Bad Donald Trump Skit on Dancing with the Stars. Watch and try to hold down your last meal:
Hopefully he was told GTFO and never come back. And, if there’s any justice in the world, Donald Trump will make sure he’s roughed up at one of his next rallies.
THIS WEEK IN FOX ISLAMOPHOBIA:
Predictably, Fox Is First Network
to Allude to ISIS, Terror Plots
During Capitol Shooting Coverage
Capitol Hill Shooting Sends
Fox News Into Knee-Jerk,
Anti-Muslim Fear Mongering
Pete Hegseth Continues To
Stoke Islamophobic Fears
Of MI Muslim Majority City
Fox News guest already wants
more patrolling in ‘Muslim
neighborhoods’ after Capitol incident
OUR HILLARY CONTEST: Just to remind you, FFF is offering a prize to the first person who spots a positive Hillary Clinton story on the Fox “News” Channel:
Yes, Tucker Carlson, Men
On Television Have Called
Hillary Clinton ‘Shrill’
Fox’s Gutfeld Accuses Hillary
Clinton Of “Bigotry Against Men”
If you see a pro-Clinton story, and if you can do so safely, get a video of it and send it in to #HillaryHotLine c/o #WhenHellFreezesOver.
HANNITY HYPOCRISY:
Sean Hannity Hates When Candidates’
Wives Are Attacked – Except When
He Attacks Michelle Obama
BLAMIN’ ‘BAMA: Of course if they’re not attacking FLOTUS, they’re attacking her husband:
Fox News Attacks Obama For
Calling Out Media’s Role In
“Vulgar” Campaign Rhetoric
Fox Guest: It’s The President’s
‘Primary Job’ To ‘Eliminate
Radical Islam Wherever It Is’
Fox Guest Accuses Obama Of ‘
Romanticizing’ Islam Because
Of His ‘Indonesian Childhood’
Bobby Jindal Blames Obama For
Popularity Of Trump’s Islamophobia
Fox Host: Obama’s Like a Jock
Who’s Bitter One Cheerleader
(Fox) Won’t Sleep With Him:
Greg Gutfeld found it interesting that the president criticizes the U.S. media so openly but said nothing about Cuba’s media censorship while there.
He went on to say, “He’s the quarterback who slept with every cheerleader, but still mad that one won’t. And that one was Fox News. We weren’t that easy, so we didn’t jump into bed with him.”
How is any of that Fair & Balanced?
ALL YOU NEED IS LEGS: This #Outrageous segment will set feminism back at least a decade thanks to The Tarantula.
‘Who needs algebra?’: Fox News
panel debates whether math
should be required in school
Read along as you watch this latest example of her idiocy:
“I whole-heartedly agree with this professor,” Tantaros replied. “I struggled. I had honors English, but in math I needed a little bit of help… I said, ‘Please could I drop out.’ But I actually took Algebra I twice and barely passed Algebra II.”
Instead of dropping out, Tantaros said that she was able to convince the school to make a special exception to exempt her from advanced math courses.
[…]
Although Eboni Williams insisted that the “reasoning and logic” behind advanced math was an important life skill, Tantaros was not convinced.
“The next time I’m in a Bloomingdales and I have a certain amount of money to spend and I’m trying to figure out how many pairs of shoes can fit in x amount of closet space, I’ll text you,” she joked. “I have one mathematical [equation] that I apply. If I like it, I buy it.”
STILL WATTERS RUN SHALLOW:
Fox’s Watters: If You’re Offended
by Trump’s Name ‘You’re an
Illegal Immigrant or a Total Sissy’
Fox’s Jesse Watters Calls Emory
University Students ‘The Enemy’
PASSAGES: It wasn’t all that long ago we chuckled over the marriage of Rupert Murdoch and former Mick Jagger squeeze Gerry Hall. This week comes news that we’re living in one gigantic reality show:
Wendi Deng rumored to be
dating Vladimir Putin after
magazine links the pair
Speaking of reality shows:
Duck Dynasty’s Willie
Robertson Joins Fox News
as Contributor, Will Host Podcast
We’d be remiss if we didn’t report:
Fox and CNN Boast Historic Quarter; Fox Leads Basic Cable in Primetime and Total Day Viewership • Fox News Channel ratings top all cable networks for first time • Fox News Channel Tops Basic Cable Quarter For First Time Ever • Fox News Channel ratings lead basic cable in first quarter
Which only proves that P.T. Barnum was right when he said, “Never underestimate the stupidity of the U.S. public.”
FOX BYTES: Fox News Doesn’t Want USDA To Enforce Healthy School Lunches Because It Was Promoted By Michelle Obama • After Shooting At U.S. Capitol, Fox Guest Blames Hollywood For Gun Violence • Listen To An Economist Shut Down Hannity For Blaming Bush-Era Financial Collapse On President Clinton • Fox Hosts Push Myth That Voter ID Laws Prevent Fraud • Fox’s Charles Payne Falsely Claims That “Higher Minimum Wages Actually Destroy Job Creation” • Fox Reporter Acknowledges State Laws On Abortion Pill Instructions Are “A Thinly Veiled Attempt To Curb Abortions” • Fox Whines About The War On Easter Again • Right-Wing Media Fearmonger About Nonexistent Forced Union Membership Following Supreme Court Decision • ‘So Now We’ve Migrated from Racist to Child Molester!’: Fox Panel Goes Off the Rails
Headly Westerfield, Head Writer for the Not Now Silly Newsroom, loves to lurk on Fox “News” comment threads. He posts some of the best ones at Fox Follies and Fallacies.
- Friday Fox Follies: Trump Tee Vee - Fri, Jun 23rd, 2017
- Friday Fox Follies: Fair & Balanced No More - Fri, Jun 16th, 2017
- Friday Fox Follies: Comey Comedy Cavalcade - Fri, Jun 9th, 2017
