Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 01:57 pm
One of then enduring mysteries of the Media Universe is why Fox “News” has treated the Orange Candidate with kid gloves, even though Donald Trump [is] Attacking Megyn Kelly On Twitter Again.
We may finally have the answer from NYMag’s Gabriel Sherman, who has impeccable sources inside Fox. Buried in an article called Operation Trump; Inside the Most Unorthodox Campaign in Political History is this nugget on how Donald Trump’s cozy backstage relationship with Fox over the years may have come back to bite the purported news station on its metaphorical ass:
It was also thanks to some information he had gathered that Trump was able to do something that no other Republican has done before: take on Fox News. An odd bit of coincidence had given him a card to play against Fox founder Roger Ailes. In 2014, I published a biography of Ailes, which upset the famously paranoid executive. Several months before it landed in stores, Ailes fired his longtime PR adviser Brian Lewis, accusing him of being a source. During Lewis’s severance negotiations, Lewis hired Judd Burstein, a powerhouse litigator, and claimed he had “bombs” that would destroy Ailes and Fox News. That’s when Trump got involved.
“When Roger was having problems, he didn’t call 97 people, he called me,” Trump said. Burstein, it turned out, had worked for Trump briefly in the ’90s, and Ailes asked Trump to mediate. Trump ran the negotiations out of his office at Trump Tower. “Roger had lawyers, very expensive lawyers, and they couldn’t do anything. I solved the problem.” Fox paid Lewis millions to go away quietly, and Trump, I’m told, learned everything Lewis had planned to leak. If Ailes ever truly went to war against Trump, Trump would have the arsenal to launch a retaliatory strike.
Blackmail is such an ugly word. Let’s call it “leverage.”
Sherman also spilled the beans to MSNBC’s Chris Hayes, which Frances Langum quotes at length on Crooks and Liars in ICYMI: Donald Trump Has Dirt On Roger Ailes. Watch and read along:
[T]his sort of helped me connect the dots to figure out why Trump has been able to do something that no other Republicans have done, which is to go up against Fox News with impunity and kind of brazenly challenge Roger Ailes and Fox News.
And what I learned is that in 2013 when Roger Ailes fired his long time PR confidante who was privy to darkest, most interesting controversial secrets of Fox News, Donald Trump played mediator to helped them work out a severance deal for Roger Ailes`s PR confidante and learned all of the dirt that he was going to spill that Roger Ailes ended up paying millions of dollars to keep secret.
So, now Donald Trump goes into this fight knowing that Ailes presumably knows that he knows things that he doesn`t want public. And really that`s why although you`ve seen Fox fight back, it has not been a scorched Earth campaign. Roger Ailes has not turned over Fox News`s air waves to attack Trump 24/7 the way he`s done against his other political enemies.
[T]he willingness to criticize Trump, even harshly, shouldn’t be mistaken for actual journalism. The reality is that Fox is a propaganda outlet for the Republican Party, who wants Trump to go away. Folks like [Megyn] Kelly don’t dislike Trump because they disagree with him politically, but because he’s not house-trained.
Trump’s opinions aren’t the problem. It’s that he can’t, or won’t, engage in the same kind of disingenuous b*llsh*t other Republicans use to make racist, sexist, or other inhumane opinions seem more palatable. If Trump kept all the same policies and opinions but got better at pretending to be a normal human being, they’d treat him like he was the second coming of Ronald Reagan.
How many levels of skulduggery can we uncover before Fox “News” finally implodes? Dunno, but Friday Fox Follies hopes to find out before the sun goes nova.
MEGYN KELLY: Speaking of Kelly, she’s not above throwing her own sharp, bony elbows to try and anger the thin-skinned Orange candidate, keeping the feud alive for another news cycle:
Megyn Kelly On Trump: ‘I
Don’t Know If He’s A Billionaire’
Meanwhile, Megyn Kelly has a theory about why Donald Trump hates her. And it makes lots of sense, because Megyn Kelly Reveals Donald Trump Used To Send Her Autographed Clippings Of Herself, which is downright creepy coming from a serial wife-cheater.
Was he grooming her for a clandestine relationship — which she spurned — or was he just trying to get on her good side, knowing he was going to throw his hat in the ring? Just another data point in the cozy backstage relationship Fox “News” has with Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, Kelly has been all over the news this week as Charlie Rose Helps Promote Megyn Kelly’s ‘Fair And Balanced’ Myth; this as CBS’ Megyn Kelly Profile Omits Her Record Of Misinformation And Race-Baiting. She got a total pass for Megyn Kelly Sees No ‘Right-Wing Bias’ At Fox: ‘I Think That Fox News Is Fair And Balanced’, despite all evidence to the contrary.
Meanwhile, Megyn Kelly Says She’s Received Death Threats Since Trump Went After Her, trying to gain sympathy while she makes herself the story. She also said some other things this week guaranteed to make headlines:
Megyn Kelly Sounds Fed Up With Cable News
Megyn Kelly may leave Fox News: ‘There’s
a lot of brain damage… from the job’
Megyn Kelly Discusses
Possibility of Leaving Fox News
Megyn Kelly says ‘options open’ on
leaving Fox: ‘You call Huckabee
F*ckabee and you’re gone’
However, it is contract renewal time. All of this could just be for effect. It’s an open secret that Kelly and Bill O’Reilly don’t get along, each chasing the other for total viewers. Yet, Kelly has the preferred demographic, while Loofah Lad’s audience is aging quickly, before the predicted mass die-off.
Her recent comments are sure to add fuel to that fire:
Megyn Kelly Jabs At Bill O’Reilly For
Not Defending Her To Donald Trump
Megyn Kelly wants to be
paid as much as Bill O’Reilly
Meanwhile, more kudos for Kelly, whether she deserves them or not…
…in which she’s put on an equal footing with the thin-skinned Falafel King. That’s got to hurt.
She even has Hillary Clinton [fooled]: Calls Fox News’ Megyn Kelly ‘Superb Journalist’, unless the candidate is just pandering.
Then there’s this:
Megyn Kelly Fears Trump
Supporters Will Riot In Cleveland
Fears? She knows it will be good for the ratings.
LOOFAH LAD: Speaking of The Falafel King, how about that Minor error spotted on Bill O’Reilly’s made-in-China American flag hat? If you call a U.S. flag with only 28 stars a minor error. Then there are these 15 Things Bill O’Reilly Got Wrong While Laughing At How Stupid These Hippies Are. Also easily debunked is Bill O’Reilly Thinks “Muslims Are Treated Pretty Well” In America. All one need do is read how Racist commenters flood Fox News Facebook page to mock bee attack victims at Phoenix mosque.
What else did he Bill O’ get totally wrong this week?
Bill O’Reilly Compares Fraudulent
Planned Parenthood Videos
To 60 Minutes Investigations
Meanwhile, Which Fox News Anchor was Spotted Vacationing in Cuba? That would be Bill O’Reilly, using his precious ‘Merkin dollars to prop up the Communist Castro regime. Or, at least that’s what he would have said if someone from MSNBC went to Havana.
As Bill O’Reilly warns GOP that the “white grievance” industry won’t vote if Republicans don’t nominate Trump, the Not Now Silly Newsroom answered him with The Annotated Bill O’Reilly Talking Point Memo #3. Hilarity ensues. [Full disclosure: I wrote it.]
He’s fooling himself (and when hasn’t he?) if he really believes his cozy 30-year backstage relationship with Donald Trump makes him objective. When Loofah Lad jumps on his Spin Cycle, it might be the only exercise he gets:
Bill O’Reilly clearly articulates
his apologism for Donald Trump
Bill O’Reilly Has “Never Seen” Trump
“Cast Aspersions At Any Group At All”
Watch Bill O’Reilly’s Reaction
When He Gets Called Out For
Being BFFs With Donald Trump
O’Reilly Attacks Fox Colleague
That Calls Out His “Personal
Friendship” With Trump
Hilariously, he thinks he’s been fair and balanced because:
O’Reilly: Team Trump Annoyed
I Have Krauthammer on a Lot,
They Should ‘Stop the Nonsense’
Krauthammer Can’t BUH-lieve
How Trump Voters Won’t Quit Him
Who else has noticed his bias, aside from Friday Fox Follies? Ted Cruz, f’rinstance:
‘You Defend Him a Lot, Bill!’: Cruz
Clashes with O’Reilly Over Trump
Even though Bill O’Reilly Says Ted Cruz Is Right About New York City Values, according to Bill O’Reilly’s Presidential Predictions: ‘It’s Gonna Be Like a WWE Ring’, especially if his vanilla milkshakin’ buddy Trump doesn’t get the nomination. Let’s hope The Falafel King doesn’t call for a boycott of Cleveland.
THIS WEEK’S TRUMP DUMP: Or, how did Fox “News” cover him this week:
Greta Van Susteren Slams Her Own Colleagues Calling For Trump Manager’s Removal • Donald Trump Whines Van Susteren Didn’t Introduce Him As ‘The Frontrunner’ • Child Actor Turned Wingnut Scott Baio Explains His Reasons For Supporting Donald Trump • Fox News hosts Trump bro who says he’s being mistreated at college: A girl called me a racist! • Fox News Pretends Trump Supporters Are Persecuted At NYU • Wash. Post Reporter: “It’s Pretty Remarkable” That Cable News Channels Have Shunned Trump Ally Roger Stone
‘Cepting Fox, of course.
BLAMIN’ ‘BAMA: A regular FFF feature of how everything is President’s Obama’s fault. But first, SHOCKER!!!
The Prez is about to have his first sit-down with Fox “News” in more 2 years. Therefore, it’s instructive to take A Look Back At Fox News’ Interviews With Obama Ahead Of His Sunday Network Appearance. Why would the POTUS subject himself to any Fox grilling, where it’s always his fault? My editor Jason Easley says Obama To Turn Fox News Into A Weapon Of Mass Republican Obstruction Destruction:
President Obama is ending his two-year Fox News ban, by doing an interview that will air on Fox News Sunday. What is interesting is that the President will be using the interview to hammer Republicans for obstructing his Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland.
Why would Obama agree to be interviewed by Fox News now? The answer can be found in what the interview will discuss. According to TVNewser, “Chris Wallace travels to Chicago where the interview will take place tomorrow at the University of Chicago. President Obama is speaking at the Law School, where he once taught, to discuss the importance of confirming Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.”
However, this section isn’t to praise the POTUS for playing Three Dimensional Chess. We’re bashing ‘Bama here:
Fox Yakkers Blame Obama For Slow
Economic Recovery And Clinton For 9-11
Robert Jeffress: Obama Has Assumed ‘His
Favorite Role, Of Defender-In-Chief Of Islam’
How will Wallace treat the President? Stay tuned.
COMEDY TONIGHT:
Fox’s Go-To Tea Party Gal Scottie
Nell Hughes Saddened By “Full
Blown Nutjob” SNL Caricature
THE RACIAL TRACK: Parimutuel betting on which Fox “News” show is the Least Intelligent during any given week is a mug’s game. Save your money.
Fox & Friends has 3 hosts; is on for 3 hours a day; 4 on weekends. While, both The Five and #Outhouse at noon have five hosts, but only wastes an hour of airtime weekdays. I bet there’s a calculus formula that covers these variables, but numbers are my natural enemy.
This tout says it’s a dead heat between The Five and #Outrageous. Both share a format; the same leg show; and Andrea Tantaros, often the first nag over the Least Intelligent Finish Line:
This week on The Five:
Fox News Dismisses
Cultural Appropriation,
like Racism, as a Non-Issue
Watch Fox’s Juan Williams
Correct White Co-Hosts’ Claim That
“Cultural Appropriation Is A Hoax”
Fox’s Bolling Criticizes Paid
Family Leave: “Socialism Is
Spreading Across America”
Fox’s Eric Bolling Wants To Offer
At-Risk Youth Money To Sign
Away Their Right To Appeal
However, never forget — whether you’re betting on The Five or ***#Outstanding*** THE TARANTULA BITES:
Fox Host: Some People Are Asking
“Is Obama Covering For ISIS?”
Fox’s Tantaros: ‘Some People Are
Asking’ If Obama Is ‘Covering For ISIS’
Fox Host Claims That America Has
“Helped Enough” With Syrian Refugee Crisis
Come to think of it, any show with The Tarantula would be in the top 3. So, if you do bet, put your money on Win, Place, or Show. It’s a smaller payout, but almost a lock during any given week.
CLINTON CONTEST: It’s time to remind loyal (and new) readers that the first person who reports a positive story about Hillary Clinton on Fox “News” will win a big prize.
Today, as this week’s FFF is being fattened and brought to market, those Foxy Friends on Fox and Friends are making hay with Clinton’s recent losing battle with a New York subway turnstile.
This was considered so newsworthy that there was barely a quarter hour when it wasn’t mentioned. However, to prove that Fox “News” will spare no expense to slam Clinton, it sent Steve Doocy — not once, but 2 separate times — to the local subway station. That requires the entire Live Eye crew for a location shoot, no matter how close. There he had passersby show how easy it is to swipe a card in a turnstile. Oh, those Three Stooges had such a laugh over Clinton’s awkward Photo Op, over and over again because there was obviously nothing else worthy of coverage.
Earlier in the week Fox’s Howard Kurtz Falsely Claims FBI Probe Into Clinton Email Is “A Criminal Investigation”, as Conservatives Are Already Preparing To Cry “Cover-Up” If Hillary Clinton Isn’t Indicted, Fox “News” personalities among them. Meanwhile, AlterNet asks the musical question:
Why Is Fox News Suddenly Kissing Bernie’s
Behind? 10 Surprising Media Moments
However, AlterNet never answers the question, so I will: Being nice to Bernie Sanders is the next best thing to Hillary bashing.
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT’S DUE: aka even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while:
Fox News Guts Donald Trump As
Anarchy Rules The Republican Party
Chris Wallace to Trump: ‘Are You in
the Process of Blowing Your Campaign?’
Geraldo Rivera Slaps His
Colleagues For Hyping Email Probe
Greg Gutfeld Trolls Piers Morgan on
Twitter While Morgan Is On Fox News
Greg Gutfeld Trolls Hannity And Van
Susteren Over Softball Trump Interviews
Greg Gutfeld Calls Out Fox
Colleagues Greta and Hannity
for Softball Trump Interviews
These are the exceptions to the rule. It’s worth pointing them out to put the rest of the Right Wing spin into sharper relief.
BE OUR GUEST: Often the most incendiary things on Fox are said by the guests. This gives Fox plausible deniability if (when?) the feces hits the fan.
Fox Guest Doubles Down On Need
To “Infiltrate” Muslim Neighborhoods
Fox Guest Thinks It’s ‘Fantastic!’
That Donald Trump Wanted To
Pay Legal Fees Of Sucker Puncher
On Fox, Ben Stein Attacks
Climate Activists As ‘Deeply
Sick And Psychologically Awful’
Fox Guest: Media Loves To
‘Play Gotcha With Republican
Candidates’ On Abortion
COMEDY TONIGHT #2: I’m still laughing over this one…
Hannity Loses It After
Reporter Quotes Rubio Staffer
Calling Him ‘F*cking A**hole’
…because not only does Sean come across as clueless, blaming the reporter for the quote, he proves the Rubio staffer 100% right. More data points in confirmation:
Hannity Invites Discredited,
Indicted CMP Founder On To
Push “Baby Parts” Falsehood
BASHING THE POOR: Time and time again the making-a-good-living-thank-you-very-much Fox “News” personalities show nothing but disdain for those less well-off. Is it a case of “I’ve got mine, Jack. Eff off”? No matter:
Fox Segment Fearmongers
Over Affordable Housing
In Affluent Neighborhoods
Fox’s Cavuto Lets Another CEO
Spread Myths About The Minimum Wage
Fox Business Pushes 3 Minimum
Wage Myths In Just 90 Seconds
And, in the past week Fox found a new reason to play one of its fave dog whistles: The Obamaphone video, which everyone thought must surely be retired by now.
FOX BYTES: Watch Fox Try To Spin The “Strong” March Jobs Report • Fox News Crushed As Younger Viewers Flock To MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow • Brian Kilmeade Validates NC Gov. Pat McCrory Claim That Anti-LGBT Law Is “Common Sense” • Fox’s Napolitano Falsely Claims SCOTUS’ Unanimous Voting Rights Decision Could Allow Undocumented Immigrants To Vote • Geraldo, CNN’s Toobin Call Cruz’s ‘New York Values’ Attack an Anti-Semitic Smear • Fox News Misses Important Context On Economic-Based Election Predictions To Claim GOP Victory • So MSNBC Just Basically Hijacked Part of Fox News’ Cruz Town Hall
Headly Westerfield previously wrote Fox “News” criticism under the nom de blog Aunty Em Ericann for NewsHounds. He is currently Head Writer for the Not Now Silly Newsroom.
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