Trump Endorses the Fascist Wannabe Dictator Viktor Orbán of Hungary Because – Of Course He Does

One of the most disturbing and destructive skid marks of Donald Trump’s ghastly occupancy of the White House was a foreign policy devoted to alienating America’s allies and embracing its enemies. He had a particularly perverse affinity for brutal tyrants such as Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jung Un, whose interests he always seemed to be pursuing.

Donald Trump

Now in exile from Washington for the past year, Trump is demonstrating that nothing has changed. He is still in awe of the authoritarians whose unchecked dominance he so envied. On Monday Trump released a statement (via his Twitter ban defying spokes-shill) officially endorsing the Hungarian fuehrer, Viktor Orbán. Trump gushed that…

“Viktor Orbán of Hungary truly loves his Country and wants safety for his people. He has done a powerful and wonderful job in protecting Hungary, stopping illegal immigration, creating jobs, trade, and should be allowed to continue to do so in the upcoming Election. He is a strong leader and respected by all. He has my Complete support and Endorsement for reelection as Prime Minister!”

The reasons Trump gives for his noxious endorsement are chillingly reminiscent of his praise for Putin and other oppressive strongmen. These despots are always portrayed by Trump as loving their country. Presumably it’s the same sort of love expressed by the insurrectionists sent by Trump to assault Congress on January 6, 2021. And naturally Trump is approving of the racist immigration policies of Orbán. However, he couldn’t be more wrong about the respect that he says Orbán enjoys. Quite the opposite. Orbán has antagonized and estranged his European neighbors.

What’s more, according to Human Rights Watch, Hungary’s parliament gave Orbán rights that allow him to rule “with unlimited power for an indefinite time.” He has the power now to strike down and/or implement laws by decree. And democratic elections have been suspended.

And if that isn’t bad enough, Orbán has consolidated control over the country’s judiciary and media. Reporters Without Borders has noted that oligarchs close to Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party control more than 80% of the media in the country, while private media is discriminated against and characterized as publishing “fake news.” No wonder Trump adores him.

It is not surprising, though, that Trump would pay tribute to Orbán. He is very likely taking his queues from Tucker Carlson of Fox News. Last August Carlson made a pilgrimage to Hungary to curtsy obediently before Orbán. Why wouldn’t he? The targets of Orbán’s hostility and lies are often the same as those that Trump and Fox News go after. CNN’s Jim Acosta reported on Carlson’s trek to the totalitarian dystopia.

So Trump is once again affirming that he is an anti-democratic, freedom-hating, friend to flagrant fascists. He even said so explicitly during his recent “Sexual Predators Tour” with Bill O’Reilly. Both Trump and O’Reilly had moments wherein they displayed their utter disgust for America. While discussing his record on foreign relations, Trump admitted that the world leaders he “got along best with were tyrants. For whatever reason, I got along great with them.”

“For whatever reason?” We know the reason. It’s because they are the people he relates to and most hopes to emulate. God forbid he ever gets another chance to. As the Republican co-chair of the House Select Committee investigating January 6th, Rep. Liz Cheney recently warned: Trump “clearly can never be anywhere near the Oval Office ever again.”

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The Donald Trump and Bill O’Reilly Fake ‘History’ Tour is the Biggest Flop of the Season

Last June Donald Trump and Bill O’Reilly announced that they would team up for a series of four public appearances in what News Corpse dubbed The Sexual Predator Tour:” a pairing of Trump, who has been accused by more than two dozen women of harassment and/or assault, and O’Reilly, who was fired by Fox News after some multi-million dollar settlements with his female victims were disclosed.

Donald Trump, Bill O'Reilly

As predicted, the conmen’s concert tour is turning out to be an epic bust. Reports reveal that the first stop in Sunrise, Florida, failed to attract much of a crowd. Many unsold seats were still available at showtime and organizers had to shut down the upper level of the arena. Attendees who purchased the cheapest tickets were “upgraded” to sections closer to the stage.

The event was billed as the “Trump/O’Reilly History Tour.” But anyone who has followed these empty-headliners knew that it would be to history what tofu is to steak. It was really just a new opportunity for the pair of failed TV grifters to fleece their flock further, promising a program of the same old regurgitated lies they’ve both told a thousand times before. The privilege of witnessing that boredom-fest would set back their dimwitted fans $100.00 each. Which apparently many weren’t willing to spend.

Trump pitched the show as offering “…hard-hitting sessions where we’ll talk about the real problems happening in the U.S., those that the Fake News Media never mention. I will be focusing on greatness for our Country” Instead, Trump tread the familiar territory of his still seething resentment for having lost to President Biden. He reprised relentlessly his “Big Lie” that the election was “rigged” and “stolen” from him. And rather than focusing on American greatness, he spent most of his time espousing his new slogan that America is “going to hell” under the Biden “regime.”

Both Trump and O’Reilly had moments wherein they displayed their utter disgust for America. While discussing his record on foreign relations, Trump admitted that the world leaders he “got along best with were tyrants. For whatever reason, I got along great with them.” Which shouldn’t surprise anyone given his affinity for, and subservience, to Vladimir Putin. And when the media that both of them despise was brought up, Trump suggested suppressing free speech with tougher libel laws. To which O’Reilly responded with an even harsher suggestion saying that “that’s better than my solution, which is a machine gun.” Yes, he’s referring to the mass murder of journalists.

Last week Trump did four impromptu call-in interviews with radio programs in Houston and Dallas. And if anyone wondered why, it’s because that’s where the duo are headed next, and their prospects for ticket sales are no better than they were in Florida. Trump may still be able to draw an audience at his free events in red counties. But even his most devoted disciples aren’t interested in shelling out cash to watch him whine the same old tedious crap for two hours.

NOTE: Twitter suspended the News Corpse account after 11 years without giving a reason. So if anyone wants to tweet articles from my website, please feel free to do so often and repeatedly. Also, Be sure to visit and follow News Corpse on Instagram. Thanks for your support.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

The Donald Trump and Bill O’Reilly ‘Sexual Predator Tour’ is Flopping Bigly

As the nation continues to struggle with a pandemic that stubbornly refuses to go away (or more accurately, is aided and abetted by Trumpian Republican anti-vaxxers), the demand for live music, theater, and other in-person performances has been growing steadily. The Foo Fighters recently played for a fully vaccinated audience at Madison Square Garden in New York City, in show that sold out in 10 minutes.

Donald Trump, Bill O'Reilly

However, that level of anticipation is not apparently matched for the upcoming Sexual Predator Tour starring Donald Trump and Bill O’Reilly. The show was announced more than a week ago, but ticket sales have been lackluster, to put it mildly. According to Politico

“Donald Trump is having trouble selling advance tickets for his upcoming speaking tour with conservative pundit Bill O’Reilly, according to interviews with ticketing officials for the venues. […]

“The events are not until the end of the year, Trump’s camp notes. But so far, the pace of purchases has been slow compared to other acts, arena officials say. […]

“As of Thursday evening, Ticketmaster pages for the Orlando, Dallas and Sunrise events and the Axs page for the Houston event show wide swathes of available seats, with some large sections only having sold a few tickets.”

Trump and O’Reilly are not exactly packing them in. Even though there are only four dates on the tour and all of them in Trump friendly locales. Nevertheless, venues like those in Dallas, Texas, and Orlando, Florida, still have most of the ticket supply available. This despite early boasting that “This tour will be one of the most lucrative of all time.”

Even if the $7 million take is true (doubtful), it wouldn’t be anything to brag about. Since most of the “standard” seats priced at about $100 each are unsold, it would mean that they have only sold a couple of thousand seats at premium prices ($1,000 – $8,500) to the wealthiest and most zealous devotees. That’s out of a potential 80,000 available seats (approximately 2.5%). This is what happens when Trump disciples, who are accustomed to getting free entry to his cult rallies, are asked to pay substantial admission fees.

Perhaps the reason for this failure is that America isn’t anxiously awaiting to hear from a pair of notorious and abusive perverts. Trump has been accused by more than two dozen women of harassment and/or assault. O’Reilly was fired by Fox News after some multi-million dollar settlements with his female victims were disclosed. And both are hurting for cash, having lost access to their primary grifting platforms.

Whoever does eventually show up isn’t going to get anything more the same old clown show that Trump and O’Reilly have been performing for years. They’re like an aging 1960’s band of one-hit-wonders playing the same song over and over again for decades. They won’t cover anything controversial or newsworthy. Does anyone think that O’Reilly will challenge Trump with this observation…

Maybe ticket sales will pick up as the dates approach. Or maybe Trump will bully the Republican Party into buying up a few thousand seats. Or maybe QAnon or the Proud Boys will step up to rescue Trump from this humiliation. Or maybe it will just go down in history as another failed Trump attempt to fleece his dimwitted flock.

NOTE: Twitter suspended the News Corpse account after 11 years without giving a reason. So if anyone wants to tweet articles from my website, please feel free to do so often and repeatedly. Also, Be sure to visit and follow News Corpse on Instagram. Thanks for your support.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

The Sexual Predator Tour: Trump and Bill O’Reilly Team Up to Cash In on Hating America

Four months into the administration of President Joe Biden, Donald Trump is still peddling his “Big Lie” that the 2020 presidential election was “rigged and stolen” from him. Never mind that he hasn’t been able to provide a shred of evidence despite more than sixty court cases that were tried and lost. In fact, his divergence from reality is getting worse. He recently claimed, without proof, that massive numbers of dead people ‘voted’ in the 2020 Presidential Election, far greater than anyone has known or seen before.”

Bill O'Reilly Donald Trump

The only massive number of dead people that Trump can point to with a factual basis are the 600,000 Americans who died as a result of his negligent and incompetent mismanagement of the COVID pandemic.

Trump’s persistence in pushing his dishonest and dangerously inflammatory falsehoods is driven by desperation. He needs to keep his cult disciples engaged and their donations flowing. After having lost his most effective fundraising platform when Facebook extended his suspension for two years, and being forced to shut down his own blog due to lack of interest, Trump is seeking new scams to generate revenue.

To that end Trump has forged a new alliance with an old ally. Former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly will be partnering with Trump to lure their dimwitted fans into shelling out for a chance to hear them regurgitate lies they’ve both told a thousand times before. The announcement states that…

“The former president is teaming up with former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly for a series of four conversations in December. […] The description of the Trump-O’Reilly conversations, which organizers are calling ‘The History Tour,’ says Trump ‘will provide a never before heard inside view of his administration – which will be historical in and of itself.”

This tour is to “history” what tofu is to steak. And as for “never before heard” views, does anyone really think that Trump has any thoughts about his disastrous administration that he hasn’t already expressed repeatedly to the point of nauseum? Trump himself claims that this staged presentation will offer…

“…hard-hitting sessions where we’ll talk about the real problems happening in the U.S., those that the Fake News Media never mention. I will be focusing on greatness for our Country, something seldom discussed in political dialogue. If we don’t make our Country great again, we will soon no longer have a Country!”

In Trump’s mind, the real problems that are never mentioned are likely the same old ones that he has been ranting about for the past five years. And all of those revolve around his inbred racism, his animosity toward the free press, his blind rage at Democrats (and wayward Republicans), and his narcissistic obsession with how terribly he thinks he has been treated. He’s even proving how worn out his rhetoric is by referring to his tiresome American greatness trope as “seldom discussed.”

The Trump and O’Reilly Show is also significant because it is a pairing two notorious sexual predators. Trump has been accused by more than two dozen women of harassment and/or assault. O’Reilly was fired by Fox News after some multi-million dollar settlements with his female victims were disclosed. So the two have much in common to talk about. And both are hurting for cash, having lost their primary fleecing facilities.

There is nothing compelling about this road show to anyone but the hopelessly indoctrinated devotees of one or the other of its stars. Their conversations surely won’t result in anything remotely newsworthy. They avoid like the plague (i.e. coronavirus) any subject that approaches controversy. Does anyone really think that Trump will be asked to comment on O’Reilly’s January tweet stating that Trump’s failure to “tamp down” his Capitol insurrectionists had “destroyed his legacy”?

NOTE: Twitter recently suspended the News Corpse account after 11 years without giving a reason. So if anyone wants to tweet articles from my website, please feel free to do so often and repeatedly. Also, Be sure to visit and follow News Corpse on Instagram. Thanks for your support.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Fox News Wants Lincoln Project to ‘Shut Down’ for the Same Offenses as – Fox News!

The Olympic-grade hypocrisy of Fox News continues to lap the field of ultra-rightist media hacks.
There is literally no limit to how flagrantly they will attack others for the crimes they are so conspicuously guilty of.

Fox News, Censorship

In recent weeks the anti-Trump Republican group, the Lincoln Project, has been embroiled in a controversy over the alleged misbehavior of one of their principles, John Weaver. He has been accused of sexual harassment and subsequently resigned from the organization. The scandal was immediately leapt upon by conservatives and Trump supporters, not because they care about sexual harassment, but as an opportunity to dispose of an effective group of Trump critics with solid Republican credentials.

One of the things that distinguishes liberals and Democrats from conservatives and Republicans is how they respond to misconduct in their ranks. The left acknowledges their failings and holds their own accountable. The right, on the other hand, defends their scoundrels, denies any wrongdoing, and embraces them even more tightly.

On Thursday Fox News joined the opportunistic rabble on the right that has been going after the Lincoln Project. They published an article on their website that called for the group to be shut down, advocating for…

“…the dissolution of the Lincoln Project, the anti-Trump political action committee that has imploded in the past month from accusations of a sexual harassment cover-up, financial skulduggery, and a toxic work environment.”

Fine. That’s not a particularly unreasonable position. And it’s one that is shared by many liberals who are appalled by the revelations of Weaver’s behavior. In fact, Fox’s article references John F. Harris’ piece on Politico as its source.

The problem is that Fox News was never so outraged by similar – and worse – behavior by their own personalities and executives. Fox’s founder, Roger Ailes, was accused by numerous women of sexual harassment and assault. So was Bill O’Reilly, Fox’s top host until he was fired in the wake of several multimillion dollar lawsuits. Fox News president Bill Shine was forced out for having covered for O’Reilly. Several Foxies (Pete Hegseth, Jessie Watters, Ed Henry) were caught in inappropriate, extramarital affairs with much younger coworkers. And Kimberly Guilfoyle, Don Trump Jr’s current girlfriend, was fired for sending her colleagues dick-pics.

Speaking of Donnie Junior, who left his wife and five children for Guilfoyle, he couldn’t resist the temptation to pile on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo with this tweet:

Once again, Donnie is wrong. Democrats have not been shy about criticizing Cuomo, some even calling for him to resign. But Donnie fails to mention the dozens of credible accusations of both harassment and assault against his father. Now that he is a civilian, those cases are going to start coming to court.

There is no excuse for the behavior that is alleged to have been engaged in by Weaver or Cuomo or Daddy Trump. But the remedy, according to Fox News, is questionable. The Lincoln Project doesn’t need to be shut down over conduct that was limited to one person. But if that’s the argument that Fox wants to make, then Fox News should be shut down for the conduct of multiple persons and their protectors.

And, of course, Trump should be figuratively shut down as a candidate or public figure for the remainder of his heinous life. But then, there are lots of other reasons for that besides his sexual predation. For instance, financial corruption, charity theft, academic fraud, presidential lying, enriching himself with taxpayer funds, and treason against America. If there were ever good reasons for “canceling” someone, Trump has exceeded the limit.

NOTE: Twitter recently suspended the News Corpse account after 11 years without giving a reason. So if anyone wants to tweet articles from my website, please feel free to do so often and repeatedly. Also, Be sure to visit and follow News Corpse on Instagram. Thanks for your support.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

UH-OH: GOP Accuses Biden of Cheating By Being More Intelligent than Trump

This week both Donald Trump and Joe Biden held nationally televised town halls. The difference between these two events could not have been more stark. Any voter who saw both broadcasts would likely – and ironically – agree with something Trump tweeted Thursday: “At no time before has there been a clearer choice between two parties, two visions, two philosophies, & two agendas for the future.” Can’t argue with that.

Donald Trump, Joe Biden

Trump had his town hall on ABC with George Stephanopoulos and spent 90 minutes repeating many of the same lies he’s been telling for months. He utterly failed to exhibit the slightest bit of knowledge on any subject, stumbling awkwardly off topic on virtually every question in order to hew closely to the tiresome talking points that litter his cult rally rhetoric. At the same time, he displayed a callous disrespect and lack of empathy for questioners who challenged his dishonest muttering, or for the millions of Americans they represented.

On the other hand, during the CNN town hall with Anderson Cooper, Biden was plainly well acquainted with the issues that are uppermost on the minds of the American people. And he articulated his views with a minimum of error. What’s more, he reaffirmed why he is often praised for his compassion and ability to relate to the common man and woman. His performance exposed Trump’s infantile taunts of “Sleepy” Joe, and his baseless insinuations about Biden’s mental acuity, as wholly outside of reality. Which is a place where Trump must feel comfortable considering how often he goes there.

Consequently, the Republican Confederacy of Trump-Fluffers sprung into action to malign Biden’s town hall presence. Since they can’t allow the public to simply observe Biden speaking coherently, the rightist slander squadron deployed to accuse him of cheating, implying that he must have had prior access to the questions. A representative example of this desperate attack line came from the disgraced former Fox News host, and serial sexual predator, Bill O’Reilly:

REALLY? Just to be clear, what O’Reilly and the rest of the right are accusing Biden of is being smart enough to anticipate that he would be asked questions about such topical matters as the coronavirus, jobs, voting, healthcare, the economy, policing and race, and climate change. They seem to think that only a super genius would have been able to figure that out. Obviously Trump wasn’t able to do it.

Plus, at the same time that these wingnuts are insisting that Biden couldn’t possibly retain knowledge about pressing matters that he’s dealt with for decades, they are also suggesting that he is capable of memorizing a slate of questions – and the answers – that he was allegedly provided beforehand. That alone would require a fair amount of mental dexterity that Trump could never muster.

So now Biden is “guilty” of being more intelligent than Trump (a low bar, to be sure). But this is consistent with the Republican mindset that intelligence is an elitist trait that should disqualify one from public service. They malign universities as centers of left-wing indoctrination. They refuse to respect the guidance of doctors, scientists, and other experts in professional fields. And they cling to Trump’s prideful ignorance as the leader who famously declared that he “loves the poorly educated.” And why shouldn’t he. Without them he’d have no cabinet – or voters.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Fox News Blacklists Conservatives for ‘Refusing to Fawn Over President Donald Trump’

Earlier this week Jane Mayer of the New Yorker published an exhaustive treatise detailing how Fox News and Donald Trump’s White House have become inextricably intertwined. The article presented numerous examples of the network working hand in hand with the administration to either whitewash Trump’s failures or malign his critics. While the political bias of Fox News is not a revelation, the aggregation of so much evidence in one story has a had a real impact.

Fox News, Censorship

Among those impacted was the Democratic National Committee (DNC), who shortly after the article was published reversed their prior position of allowing Fox News to host a Democratic primary debate. That was never a good idea, but it took the voluminous presentation by Mayer to convince the DNC. And subsequently, more testimony to Fox’s propagandistic aspirations have come to light.

Bernard Goldberg was once a familiar face on Fox’s right-wing roster. He was a frequent contributor to the O’Reilly Factor before Bill O’Reilly was fired for multiple instances of sexual harassment that cost the network millions of dollars in settlement fees. O’Reilly’s termination occurred just a couple of months after Trump’s inauguration. And it wasn’t long after that that Goldberg found himself person non grata for an entirely different reason. According to Newsweek (because Goldberg’s website is blocked by a paywall):

“Goldberg detailed how Fox News executives refused to allow conservatives to criticize Trump and other right-wing figures, such as Sarah Palin. Goldberg wrote a Tuesday blog post on his personal website saying top figures at the cable network sought retribution against him after he complained Sean Hannity and other hosts were only flattering Trump and Palin during interviews rather than pressing them journalistically.”

Goldberg went on to lambaste Fox and singled out Sean Hannity for conducting interviews that “resemble wet kisses a lot more than journalism.” And he further alleged that Fox News was blacklisting any conservative on the network who wasn’t unwaveringly adoring of Donald Trump. But the banishment was strictly limited to disloyal conservatives.

“Fox will tolerate a liberal criticizing President Trump, I said, but the network didn’t want conservatives taking shots at him. Sometimes I defended the president against what I thought was unfair criticism. But I was also critical of Mr. Trump, of his vindictiveness and his dishonesty.”

This is the environment at Fox News as described by a stalwart conservative commentator. And the treatment he’s receiving isn’t unique to him. Fox previously jettisoned conservative Trump critics like David Frum, Bill Kristol, and George Will. It’s clear that anyone who strays from the approved doctrine will be excommunicated and banished.

Now some people are aghast that the DNC nixed Fox as a host for their primary debates. It seems unarguable that a network that has devoted itself to destroying Democrats through insults and lies ought not to recognized as a legitimate news enterprise and rewarded for their abuse. Indeed, Fox’s rabid hatred for Democrats even led one of their top personalities, Lou Dobbs, to tweet a call for Democrats to be prosecuted for abuse of power and treason. It’s also rather hypocritical to criticize Democrats for blacklisting Fox when Fox itself is blacklisting their own conservatives who they now feel have wandered off the wingnut trail.

Some of the critics of the DNC’s decision claim that Fox has some reputable journalists and shouldn’t be shut out. But that’s an absurd argument. No one would attend a convention of their mortal enemies simply because there might be a handful of neutral bystanders hanging around. And those who say that Democrats who are “afraid” to appear on Fox aren’t fit for office are also missing the point. Nobody is afraid of Fox. It isn’t fear that brought about this decision. Quite the opposite. It’s having the courage to smack down a loud, aggressive, bullying opponent who means you nothing but harm. And it’s having the intelligence to deny a phony “news” operation the legitimacy of your presence and participation.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

The portrait that Goldberg paints of the editorial prejudices at Fox News corroborates everything that Mayer revealed in her article. And that article corroborates everything that many critics of Fox have been saying for years. And while the biases of Fox have been well known for a long time, they have gotten much worse during the Trump era. It is now a fully devotional cult worshiping clan wherein there is no discernible distinction between Fox and the Trump administration. And that is no place hold a “fair and balanced” debate for any political party.

Kavanaugh to Be Interviewed On Fox News, the Network that Employed Multiple Sexual Predators

If you were looking for a sign that the Donald Trump White House is getting desperate with regard to the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, they just showed their cards. Fox News has announced – and Trump tweeted a promo for – Kavanaugh’s appearance Monday night on Fox News with Martha MacCallum.

Fox News Alert

There could not be a clearer indicator of Trump’s worrying that his nominee is floundering and is at risk for an embarrassing failure. It is unprecedented for a Supreme Court nominee to go on television to advance his nomination and defend himself against allegations that haven’t even been raised in Congress or investigated by the FBI.

What’s worse is that the television platform chosen by Kavanaugh (or was it the White House?) is Fox News. That’s the network whose founder and CEO, Roger Ailes, was fired due to multiple complaints of sexual harassment and assault. It’s the network whose biggest star, Bill O’Reilly, was fired for the same reasons, after paying out tens of millions of dollars in hush money to his victims. It’s the network whose president, Bill Shine, was fired for his shoddy handling of those affairs and his enabling of the wrongdoers. Shine is now Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications.

With a history of such tawdry behavior by Fox News, it seems to be a highly inappropriate media outlet to try to whitewash Kavanaugh’s history of alleged abuses. And the choice of Martha MacCallum to interview Kavanaugh is also troubling. Obviously they didn’t want a man like Sean Hannity to do it. So they picked a woman who was one of Ailes’ first and most vigorous defenders. And it needs to be noted also that, while Kavanaugh is swatting softballs from MacCallum on Fox News, his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford has more respectfully declined any television offers:

“As I am not a lawyer or a Senator, I am relying on them and you to ensure that the committee will agree to conditions that allow me to testify in a fair setting that won’t disrupt families and become a media tv show. […] I have received an inordinate number of requests to appear on major TV shows to elucidate further information, to which I have not responded. My goal is to return soon to my workplace, once it is deemed safe for me and importantly, my students.”

The distasteful decision to parade Kavanaugh and his wife on TV in the hopes of generating some public sympathy is more evidence of how Trump is turning the White House into a Reality TV presidency. It’s all about making impressions and convincing the American people not to vote them off the island. And on that score they are failing miserably. Polls show that a majority of people oppose Kavanaugh’s confirmation. And that was before the latest charges were revealed. But if you’re moved by his revelation that he was a virgin until “many years” after high school, than you won’t want to miss this interview (Note: Kavanaugh being a virgin doesn’t make Dr. Ford’s allegations false. She never claimed that there was intercourse):

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Trump’s Video Confessionals Bring the White House One Step Closer to the Reality TV Presidency

A few months ago Trump brought Bill Shine into the White as his Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications. In other words, Minister of Propaganda. Shine is the former Fox News President who was fired due to his handling of sexual harassment at the network by Roger Ailes, Bill O’Reilly and other big shots. Now he is handling the PR for a president with his own history of being a serial predator and whose nominee for the Supreme Court is battling similar charges.

Donald Trump

The presence of Bill Shine in the White House is unmistakable. His fingerprints are all over Trump’s public appearances and rallies that are now stage managed more carefully. They are located in more photogenic environments. And the access of the media is constrained to insure positive visual imagery, or at least political sterility. Shine is a veteran TV manipulator who learned his craft at the knee of Fox’s Godfather, the late Roger Ailes.

Shine’s propaganda pedigree is long-established. Before taking the reins of the network as president, he was the producer of Sean Hannity’s program. Hannity was so reliant on Shine that when rumors erupted about his imminent termination, Hannity exploded and whined that Shine’s departure would be “the total end of the Fox News Channel as we know it.” If only.

In his new position, Shine is exploiting the assets of his “star” whose resume is mainly littered with the gossip pages and reality TV. Trump spent fourteen years as the “host” of The Apprentice, so don’t let anyone fool you into thinking that he was a busy real estate magnate. No authentic billionaire businessman has that much time to spare on television pablum. The Apprentice was Trump’s job. So Shine is putting that experience to work by casting Trump in short films that have little substance or news value.

The closest thing that these presidential clips can be compared to are the moments in reality TV shows where a character is separated from the herd and speaks directly to the camera about some personal observations regarding the other cast members. On Thursday one these confessionals was posted to Trump’s Twitter feed that whined about China taking advantage of America on trade issues. Trump complained that China looked at the U.S. as “very soft touches.” And he made the point that he doesn’t blame China, he blames America. It’s the “Blame America First” doctrine.

The day before that, Trump posted a video of himself declaring his devotion to the victims of Hurricane Florence in the Carolinas. Never mind that the victims of Hurricane Maria that devastated Puerto Rico are figments of a “deep state” cabal to manufacture a fake death toll. This video features Trump’s pseudo-sincere ramblings set to an inspirational music sound track.

The day before that, Trump posted a clip thanking the first responders to Hurricane Florence, which he described as “a tough hurricane. One of the wettest we’ve ever seen from the standpoint of water.” Okay, so Shine isn’t perfect. But look at who he has to work with.

These are just the most recent examples of the Reality TV style infomercials produced by Shine and Company. Others include segments from Fox News programs of Trump-fluffing characters like Hannity, Jeanine Pirro, Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo, or the “Curvy Couch” potatoes of Fox and Friends. Some of the videos just show Trump signing a big book that represents some legislation or executive order that he’s touting.

The one thing that all of these productions have in common is that they are all purposefully staged to put Trump in the best light possible. They give the President a public presence where he doesn’t have to bother with pesky reporters asking difficult questions. And of course, there is no opportunity for rebuttal or for any opinion other than the state sanctioned one mandated by Trump and his Propaganda Ministry staff. Shine is literally bringing Big Brother to the White House.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Shine’s role at the White House is to reproduce the sort of media tyranny that exists in Russia, North Korea, and that was pioneered by Nazi Germany’s Joseph Goebbels. All of whom Trump has repeatedly demonstrated his admiration for. And Bill Shine is the person who is doing the most to help Trump realize his authoritarian goals with a reality TV flavor.

Fox News Enabler of Sexual Predators to Become Trump’s New Communications Director

The administration of Donald Trump is currently teeming with Fox News alumni serving in official roles and as outside advisors. They include National Security Advisor John Bolton, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, HHS Secretary Ben Carson, and Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell. Plus Sean Hannity, Jeanine Pirro, Lou Dobbs, and Pete Hegseth are just a few of the Foxies that Trump relies upon regularly for counsel. And let’s not forget that Trump himself is a former Fox News shill. That’s right. He had a recurring role on Fox & Friends for years with his “Mondays With Trump” segment.

Fox News, Sean Hannity, White House

Now it is being reported that Trump is close to hiring former Fox News president Bill Shine to be his communications director, a post that has been vacant since Hope Hicks left almost four months ago. Shine took over as president of Fox News after CEO and founder Roger Ailes was fired for multiple allegations of sexual harassment and abuse. But shortly thereafter, Shine was also jettisoned for coddling and protecting Ailes and other Fox deviants.

UPDATE: It’s official. Former Fox News Executive Bill Shine Accepts White House Communications Role.

Shine may be the perfect communications director for Trump. They share much in common. In addition to their shared histories with Fox News, they both have long records of disrespecting women. Trump presently is facing allegations by at least sixteen women who say he harassed and/or assaulted them. Shine has not been accused of mistreatment himself, but he is widely viewed as having knowingly covered up sexual misbehavior and crimes. He’s been named in several lawsuits filed against Ailes and Bill O’Reilly. For instance, former Fox News host Andrea Tantaros charged that Shine used private information to “to intimidate, terrorize and crush her career.”

Shine is also a close associate of Trump’s favorite Fox News defender and fluffer, Sean Hannity. And Hannity is reported to have actively pushed Trump to hire Shine. Prior to joining the executive ranks at Fox, Shine was Hannity’s producer. When Shine was first rumored to be on the chopping block Hannity freaked out. In response to the news he tweeted this:

Well, it was true, but FNC persists with an even more extremist agenda of facilitating Trump’s tyrannical aspirations and status as a racist cult leader. It is recognized by most observers that Fox News has transformed itself into a State TV enterprise serving only to advance White House propaganda. The bonds that link Fox to Trump just keep getting tied tighter with every day. Even Don Jr. has left his wife and five kids to date Fox’s Kimberly Guilfoyle.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

In reality there is no practical difference between Fox News and Trump’s presidency. And with the possible addition of the Fox ex-president as the chief White House communications official, it is impossible to deny this unprecedented and unethical relationship between a president and the media. It is a parasitic perversion wherein Fox News slobbers over Trump with adoring tongue baths and targeted attacks on his critics. Meanwhile, Trump frequently tweets almost daily about what he’s watching on Fox News and even promotes their programming. At the same time he lashes out at all other media as “fake” news. One really has to wonder how Fox News can legitimately cover Trump considering their close personal and professional ties. But then “legitimate” would be the operative word, and one that is rarely associated with Fox News.