Here’s a Solution for Trump’s Whining that ‘Something Strange is Going on at Fox News’

Posted by on May 21, 2019 at 1:27 pm. 1 Comments :

The single most predictable expression emanating from Donald Trump at any given moment is his relentless, childish whining. If he isn’t whining about the Mueller investigation, he’s whining about something a Democrat said, or the “fake news,” or Hillary Clinton’s emails, or invading caravans of refugees at the border, or China, or Iran, or worst of all, Obama. And that’s the short list.

Donald Trump, Fox News, Strange

A new entry into Trump’s parade of targets for his whine-feasting is one that many might not have expected. Although no one and nothing is safe from his wrath because all it takes is one slip up and you’re on his shitlist. But his recent attack on Fox News certainly raised some eyebrows.

During his latest cult rally in Pennsylvania, Trump ricocheted from one random nuisance to another with his typical flair for incoherence. He threatened to have his Attorney General, William Barr, investigate Democrats and the FBI for treason. He “joked” about serving five terms as president. And he accused Joe Biden of “deserting” Pennsylvania by moving to Delaware with his parents – when he was ten years old. This is a new wrinkle on his abhorrent policy of separating families. And then he unleashed this brilliant bit of paranoid mush (video below):

“What’s going on with Fox, by the way? They’re putting more Democrats on than Republicans. Something strange is going on at Fox, folks! Something very strange. […] Somebody’s gonna have to explain the whole Fox deal to me?”

Somebody’s gonna have to explain nearly everything to Trump. But more to the point, that was Trump’s response to the town hall Fox News aired on Monday with Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg. But more importantly, it was Trump’s admission that he regards Fox News as his personal publicity shop where only his views – and those of his GOP allies – are authorized to be broadcast. And if Fox should dare to stray from Trumpian orthodoxy, they are officially guilty of betraying the cause of white-wing nationalism, and him personally. He did exactly the same thing after the Bernie Sanders town hall on Fox.

Trump is actually right in an odd way. Research by Media Matters found that Democrats do appear on Fox News with some frequency. In fact, that occurs far more often than the cowardly Republicans appear on CNN or MSNBC. Trump himself is the King of the Cowards. He has not done an interview with either of those networks since becoming President.

Part of the reason that Fox News is hosting more Democrats than usual is that the Democratic primary field currently consists of twenty-four candidates. However, there is solution to this foreboding problem. Since Trump believes that there are too many Democrats taking up airtime on Fox News, all they need to do is schedule some more Republicans to even out the alleged imbalance. At the moment there is only one other Republican challenging Trump for the GOP nomination. That’s former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld.

As the chief executive of a large state that generally skews blue, Weld should be considered at least as viable a candidate as Buttigieg, the mayor of a small town in rural Indiana. Although Weld is taking on an incumbent president, that shouldn’t be a consideration for a legitimate, independent news network. If Fox News isn’t a Trump-fluffing propaganda operation, they should have no problem inviting Weld to do a town hall.

On the other hand, if Fox fails to offer an invitation to Weld, they are conceding that they are in the tank for Trump and will abide no opposition. To date there is no indication that any such invitation has been proffered. This seems like a perfect opportunity for Weld to approach Fox and insist that he be given the same consideration as Buttigieg, Sanders, and Trump. He is a serious contender with a platform that resonates with millions of Americans. And he would satisfy Trump’s call for Fox News to book more Republicans. So it’s time for Fox to step up and try to prove that they have at least a sliver of journalistic integrity. That, of course, may be too much to ask.

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

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Fox News Riles Big Baby Trump By Hosting Buttigieg Town Hall Rather than More Trump-Fluffing

Posted by on May 20, 2019 at 12:21 pm. 3 Comments :

For anyone who isn’t yet convinced that Fox News is a wholly owned subsidiary of Trump Cult Enterprises (or maybe vice versa), Donald Trump has helped to affirm this fact himself. In a pair of tweets that reveal just how tightly integrated they are, the reality TV president made it clear that there should be no wavering on Fox’s mission to prop up all things Trump. And that also means shunning non-Trump news.

Fox News Friends

When Pete Buttigieg agreed to appear on Fox News for a town hall, he articulated his justifications for doing so. They were essentially the same as those by other Democrats who mistakenly believe that there is some merit to lending their credibility to a propaganda outfit that hasn’t earned it and doesn’t deserve it. In short, they argue that they need to reach out to Fox’s viewers. But there are other venues to communicate with any Fox viewer who isn’t devoutly pro-Trump. And those who are need not be bothered with. In the meantime, it’s counterproductive to help Fox earn more respect and revenue with which they will trash Democrats.

Nevertheless, Buttigieg showed up for the town hall ready to address what was expected to be an unfriendly encounter. Surprisingly, the audience was fairly receptive to his remarks. In particular they applauded vigorously when he said of Trump’s vile and infantile antics that “It is the nature of grotesque things that you can’t look away.” He also enjoyed a standing ovation at the end that caught anchor Chris Wallace off guard.

But Trump’s reaction to this program was somewhat different. He angrily tweeted that it’s:

Trump is giving away the propaganda game here. He is complaining that Fox News had the audacity to cover someone running for president other than the officially designated candidate of the Fox Nationalist Party. He did exactly the same thing following the Bernie Sanders town hall on Fox. According to Trump, just giving a Democrat one hour out of twenty-four is evidence that the network is “moving to the wrong side.” Even that phrasing indicates Trump’s impression is that Fox News is on his side and against his enemies.

Trump segues from that nonsense to taking a swipe at Wallace who he says “never speaks well of me.” Setting aside the fact that that’s patently false, a more interesting fact is that Trump is so scared of Wallace that he’s never granted him an interview as President. Which is ironic since the rightists in Fox World are always accusing Democrats of fearing Fox. The truth is just the opposite. Media Matters has done the research and found that Democrats appear on Fox News far more often than Republicans appear on CNN or MSNBC.

So what did Buttigieg gain by submitting to Fox? He earned a rebuke from Fox for having done so. The following morning the “Curvy Couch” potatoes of Fox and Friends tore into Buttigieg for speaking candidly about what happens “when you see what goes on with some opinion hosts on this network.” He elaborated saying…

“I mean when you’ve got Tucker Carlson saying that immigrants make America dirty, when you’ve got Laura Ingraham comparing detention centers and children in cages to summer camps, then there is a reason why anybody has to swallow hard and think twice before participating in this media ecosystem.”

That drew the ire of Fox’s Brian Kilmeade who went on an extended rant where in warned prospective Fox guests that they shouldn’t show up if they intend to speak their minds and tell the truth:

“Don’t hop on our channel and continue to put down the other hosts on the channel. If you feel that negative about it, don’t come.”

Perhaps Fox News should publish a guidebook outlining what is and isn’t allowed to be said on their network. Because if you say anything the least bit critical you’re scolded and maligned for having “absolutely no courage” despite your presence in their studio. Then, for good measure, Kilmeade went on to lie about Trump’s tax cuts which Buttigieg correctly said benefited the wealthy. Kilmeade disputed that saying that the cuts were aimed at corporations (Is that better, or even different?) and that “the smallest tax cut was for those who pay the most.”

All of these lies and insults took place the morning after the Buttigieg town hall. They were done without giving Buttigieg an opportunity to respond. There was no Democratic voice on to set the Foxies straight. And the Buttigieg bashing continued on Fox News throughout the rest of the morning broadcasts and surely continued for the remainder of the day.

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

So how exactly did the hour that Buttigieg got justify the countless hours of attacks and lies? The lesson from both Sanders and Buttigieg is that doing these Fox town halls only sets you up for attacks without providing any benefit whatsoever. Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris have stated publicly that they will not be submitting to Fox. The rest of the Democratic field should take heed and do the same.


Big Baby Trump Resorts to Whining and Lying When Fellow Republican Says He’s Impeachable

Posted by on May 19, 2019 at 11:50 am. 2 Comments :

Nothing is more predictable than the response from Donald Trump whenever anyone has the audacity to challenge or criticize him. He lashes out uncontrollably like a petulant child who doesn’t get his way. And his assaults are always slathered in impotent insults and seasoned with the hate of a wounded narcissist.

Donald Trump

So naturally when Republican congressman Justin Amash of Michigan made the courageous decision to put his country before his party. Trump went ballistic. Amash is one of the few Republican members of Congress who read the report by special counsel Robert Mueller with an independent eye. Consequently he came away with the objective realization that Trump “has engaged in impeachable conduct.” The report is rife with evidence of the unsavory connections to Russia by Trump and his campaign, as well as multiple documented incidents of obstruction of justice.

Trump typically chose Twitter as his preferred presidential communications platform to strike back at Amash. Lately Trump has been spectacularly deranged, even for him. But Trump’s pitiful retort to Amash is just further evidence of his mental infirmity and unfitness for office. He tweeted that he was…

The pattern of Trump’s attack is typified by first maligning his foe as an inferior with ulterior motives. Thus, Amash is a “lightweight” who is just looking for attention. But then Trump made the laughable charge that Amash had not read the Mueller report, which Trump absolutely didn’t read. At best he had one of his nannies summarize it with a few charts and pictures that made him look like a superhero.

In what might ordinarily be considered a hysterical satire, Trump dismissed the Mueller report as the “biased” product of “18 Angry Dems who hated Trump.” (For the record, there are more like 65 million angry Democrats who hate Trump). However, he also said that it found “NO COLLUSION and, ultimately, NO OBSTRUCTION.” But if the report that allegedly exonerated him was biased, doesn’t that mean that it DID find collusion and obstruction? And typical of any Trump tirade, it was overflowing with lies:

  • It’s absurd to suggest that Amash, a conservative Republican, was looking to advance himself by defying his own party and its leader.
  • Amash’s detailed commentary proves that he did read the Mueller report, despite Trump’s implying that he didn’t.
  • The report was produced by a lifelong Republican who was chosen by a Republican acting Attorney General who Trump appointed.
  • It was neither “strong on no collusion” nor “ultimately no obstruction.”
  • You can charge obstruction of justice even if there is no underlying crime. Obstruction is a crime in itself.
  • There no discernible crimes by “the other side” despite repeated attempts by the GOP to find something.

You have to hand to Trump. Not many people could squeeze that many falsehoods into two measly tweets. But he had inspiration. He was driven by the fact that someone chose to be disobedient by criticizing Dear Leader. That is the deadly sin of the Trump Era. And such impudence must be met head on with whining and crying and lying and the throwing of tantrums. Thankfully, those are the only skills that Trump has been shown to have in abundance.

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


It’s BULL****! Trump’s Profane Attack on the Press Ignores His Own Lies and ‘Anonymous’ Sources

Posted by on May 18, 2019 at 11:48 am. 5 Comments :

Among the myriad embarrassments America suffers as result of having “elected” Donald Trump president is his relentlessly infantile behavior. His emotional maturity was stunted at somewhere between cholicky toddler and insolent preteen. He has all the personality traits of a narcissistic bully whose chief communications tools are whining, blame, and insults.

Donald Trump

Trump once again demonstrated his loathsome and vile hostility on Friday during an address to the National Association of Realtors. It’s notable that all of Trump’s speeches of late take on exactly the same tenor as the political cult rallies he stages for his congregation of Deplorables. There was no reason to expect that a speech before real estate agents would devolve into the typical rage-ranting that is the hallmark of Trump’s public appearances, but that’s what they got.

Along with his extremist partisanship and wild detours from the world of facts, Trump littered his speech with attacks on his favorite foes. Naturally, that included the media. Interrupting his own chain of alleged thought, Trump unleashed a paranoid and profane assault against the press for having the audacity to report what he actually does and says. It was so bad that Reuters had to post a “GRAPHIC LANGUAGE WARNING” because now America has a president whose rhetoric is offensive to decent folks and children (video below):

“The press doesn’t give me credit for anything, no matter what I do. No, it’s true. Doesn’t matter. Who cares? […] They say ‘confidential sources.’ You ever notice they never write the names of people anymore? Everything is ‘A source says…’ There is no source. The person doesn’t exist. The person’s not alive. It’s bullshit, okay? It’s bullshit.”

First of all, the press gives Trump plenty of credit. The problem is that most of what he does is either harmful, stupid, or self-serving, so he thinks that getting “credit” for that reflects a negative bias. But it’s just the facts. Secondly, he seems to dismiss this coverage by saying “Who cares?” Of course the answer is: He does. That’s why he never stops whining about it.

However, the worst part of this tirade was Trump’s foul-mouthed complaints about the press using confidential sources. Never mind that unidentified sources are an integral part of professional and responsible journalism. Trump making this complaint is hysterical. After all, he is notorious for having impersonated his own PR flack using fake names like “John Barron” and “John Miller.” In his litigation with Stormy Daniels he identified himself as “David Dennison.” He routinely orders his White House communications staff to speak to reporters off the record, which results in those “a source says…” quotes.

Trump also told the realtors that the press “make up” their sources, that they are “bad people” and “that’s why I came up with the term ‘fake news.” Let’s just set aside the nonsense that he came up with that term. Although he did pervert it to mean only news that he doesn’t like. But he’s the guy who has been documented to have told more than 10,000 lies just since his inauguration. There is no bigger source for fake and intentionally dishonest news than Trump. And it’s pitiful that this country is burdened with such a cretinous liar occupying it’s highest public office. In fact, it’s bullshit!

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


Senile or Stupid? Trump is Ecstatic About His Total Misreading of a Devastating Fox News Poll

Posted by on May 17, 2019 at 10:54 am. 2 Comments :

The age old question has arisen again in this historically warped Era of Trump. Is the President suffering from a severe mental collapse, or is he just the biggest dumbass to ever reside in the White House? It’s a question that has perplexed seasoned politicos and concerned citizens alike. And of course, one answer doesn’t negate the other.

Donald Trump

The latest episode of Donald Trump’s cognitive infirmity arose – as it often does – in his Twitter feed that violently shifts from the hysterical to the frightening. It is a unique compendium of his rampant lies, consuming paranoia, and vile hostility. It is also an outlet for his narcissistic exaltations of himself. The latter was evident on Friday morning when he tweeted that…

The first thing that reveals the irrelevance of this post is that Trump is citing the “Curvy Couch” potatoes of Fox and Friends as his source. So naturally the substance can be presumed to be bullshit. In fact, the Fox News poll to which he is referring actually shows a very different result than Trump’s skewed anlaysis. A majority (51 percent), when asked how likely it was that intelligence agencies like the FBI broke the law while investigating Trump’s collusion with Russia and obstruction of justice, said “Not At All” or only “Somewhat.” What’s more, a more detailed breakdown showed that only 24 percent said it was “Extremely” likely, while 31 percent said “Not At All.” That, however, was not the only bad news for Trump in this poll. It also showed that:

  • 46% of voters approve of the way Mueller handled the Russia investigation, while only 32% disapprove.
  • A plurality said that they trust Mueller (45%) more than Trump (27%).
  • Voters also trust Mueller over Attorney General Barr (40% to 22%), and Democrats over the Trump administration (44% to 33%).
  • They said that AG Barr is covering up for Trump (45% to 33%).
  • 42% said they favor impeaching Trump.
  • They say that Democrats in Congress are seeking the truth rather than attacking Trump (49% to 41%).
  • On whether they would vote for Trump in 2020, 54% say No, 38% say Yes. (Definitely No: 46% to definitely Yes only 28%).

Yet somehow Trump managed to spin this poll (did I mention that it’s by Fox News?) as positive for him. He went on to tweet more nonsense that is only true in his diseased brain. Such as his ludicrous assertion that his “Campaign for President was conclusively spied on.” Even his own, hand-picked FBI director, Christopher Wray, disputes that. But Trump tweeted that this delusion was “TREASON.” He also tweeted more lies about Hillary Clinton’s emails (when will it end?).

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

You really have to wonder how Trump manages to maintain his utterly deranged fallacies about himself and the world. His perspective is so far removed from reality that it’s hard to imagine how he gets through the day. But what’s worse is that he has a small base of supporters who hang on his every lie as if it were gospel. And his Republican Nationalist Party backs up his dementia all the way. This isn’t the behavior of a political movement. It’s the behavior of a cult. And like all such cults, it’s going to end badly for the deceived believers.


Hypocritical GOP Rep Says Insults are ‘Intellectually Void’ – But Ignores Trump and Fox News

Posted by on May 16, 2019 at 3:39 pm. 2 Comments :

The competition for rank hypocrisy in American politics has rarely been as one-sided as it has been since the advent of Donald Trump. He and his Republican Nationalist Party have dominated the field with brazenly dishonest rhetoric that stretches the outward boundaries of Olympic-grade duplicity and deceit.

Fox News Trump

Trump is the most shameless purveyor of pretense this country has ever seen. He says that he supports access to health care for every American while he’s cutting services and sabotaging the Affordable Care Act. He says that he’s for the environment while slashing regulations and dismantling the EPA. He ways that no one is a stronger advocate for women while he nominates judges who have sworn to decimate their civil and human rights. There are many more examples of Trump’s perfidy and that of the party that has devolved into little more than his blindly devoted pep squad.

One of the worst offenders is Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas. He recently sought to criticize Sen. Elizabeth Warren for her honorable decision to shun a Fox News invitation to do a town hall. She correctly called the network a “hate-for-profit racket,” which is an apt description for an alleged “news” enterprise that exists only to malign Democrats and liberals. Crenshaw was obviously upset with Warren’s brave and well -articulated position, so he tweeted smugly:

First of all, someone needs to help Crenshaw with his math. On its best night Fox News gets only about three million viewers. That’s less than one percent of America. So Crenshaw was only off by forty-nine percent. What’s more, Warren wasn’t showing any contempt for those viewers at all. She was showing well-deserved contempt for Fox News itself, where “racism and hate” are projected on a 24/7 basis.

Where Crenshaw’s hypocrisy tips the scale though is with his complaint about “labeling and insults.” Has he been in a coma for the past two years? The leader of his party has spent most of his term in office insulting his opponents and critics in the most childish manner imaginable. His infantile nicknames and vulgar put-downs have become the hallmark of his character (or rather, lack thereof). Hasn’t Crenshaw heard Trump’s cholicky whining about “Crooked” Hillary or “Crazy” Bernie or “Low IQ” Maxine Waters? Not to mention the profane slurs directed at Sen. “The Dick” Blumenthal or House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam “Schitt.”

Of course Trump’s State TV operation (aka Fox News) is just as bad. They routinely lash out at Democrats with similarly disparaging comments. If you watch Sean Hannity or Laura Ingraham or Tucker Carlson, you’ll have noticed that they rarely mention any Democrat’s name without appending an insulting preface to it. They usually resort to various versions of “liar, creepy, disgusting, traitorous,” or “idiot.”

So if Crenshaw had any shred of integrity he would renounce both Trump and Fox News for their boorish behavior that he correctly believes is “a cheap attempt to undermine ideas.” But don’t hold your breath. Crenshaw isn’t the least bit interested in decency or fairness. If he were he wouldn’t have gotten literally everything wrong in that impudent tweet. But he can rest assured that he has a bright future with either the Republican Party or Fox News. He could even be the next Jeanine Pirro:

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

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Wannabe Dictator Trump Thinks He Decides Which Congressional Investigations are ‘Authorized’

Posted by on May 15, 2019 at 3:06 pm. 4 Comments :

Considering Donald Trump’s embarrassing ignorance of the Constitution, it’s not surprising that he is now advancing a position that flagrantly breaches one of the foundational principles in the document. Trump’s White House counsel, Pat Cipollone, sent a letter to Jerry Nadler, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, that totally obliterates the notion of co-equal branches of government.

Donald Trump Tyrant Dictator

Rep. Nadler had previously sent requests to eighty-one individuals and entities for documents pertaining to his committee’s investigation “into the alleged obstruction of justice, public corruption, and other abuses of power by President Trump, his associates, and members of his Administration.” These are serious matters that factor into the President’s ability and legitimacy to govern. And they are squarely within the jurisdiction of Congress to investigate. Which makes the response by Cipollone all the more peculiar. He wrote that:

“The White House will not participate in the Committee’s ‘investigation’ that brushes aside the conclusions of the Department of Justice. […] Congressional investigations are intended to obtain information to aid in evaluating potential legislation, not to harass political opponents or to pursue an unauthorized ‘do-over’ of exhaustive law enforcement investigations conducted by the Department of Justice.”

First of all, the Committee did not “brush aside the conclusions of the Department of Justice.” Rather, it sought to complete a process that had not come to any conclusions. In fact, the report by special counsel Robert Mueller for the Justice Department, explicitly left it up to Congress to pursue any further investigation. And the White House is not empowered to declare that investigations by Congress that they don’t like are “unauthorized.”

But Cipollone went even further than that. In his refusal to cooperate with the Committee, he asserted that:

“…it is not the Committee’s legislative function to conduct a detailed inquiry into a particular event or series of events in order to construct a precise picture of the facts.”

Really? That’s a twisted interpretation of what are permissible congressional investigations. Congress has always had the responsibility of conducting oversight of the executive branch in order to maintain the lawful exercise of governing authority. If Cipollone’s argument were operative there could have been no investigations into Watergate or 9/11. The Republican chaired hearings on Benghazi and Hillary Clinton’s emails would have been improper. Even the new hearings called for by GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham into the origins of the Trump/Russia probe would be beyond the jurisdiction of Congress.

But what’s really troubling about this is the White House position that they have the power to dictate the authorities of Congress. Trump thinks that he can simply declare that Congress isn’t allowed to investigate him, and then decline to cooperate in the investigation. That’s not how the Constitution defines the roles of these bodies and the separation of powers. But it is how tyrants seek to impose their will in countries that reject freedom and democratic rule of, by, and for the people.

So naturally Trump is trying to assume the mantle of the tyrant and force Congress – and the nation – to submit to his will. Hopefully Congress and the courts will not allow him to get away with subverting American democracy with his aspirations for a monarchal reign of terror.

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


Sen. Warren Declines Invitation to Do Town Hall Because ‘Fox News is a Hate-For-Profit Racket’

Posted by on May 14, 2019 at 12:17 pm. 3 Comments :

The debate over whether or not Democrats should appear on Fox News continues to divide many of the current candidates for the Democratic nomination for president. Pete Buttigieg and Kirsten Gillibrand are each scheduled for upcoming town halls. Bernie Sanders and Amy Klobuchar have already done their Fox events. And all the evidence proves that they have nothing to show for it. In fact, both have lost points in subsequent polling.

Fox News, Elizabeth Warren

Oddly enough, Donald Trump had one of the most relevant responses to the Sanders town hall on Fox. He tweeted that it was “So weird to watch Crazy Bernie on @FoxNews.” That’s an acknowledgement that Fox News is regarded as the State TV outlet for the Trump presidency and anyone not devoutly worshipful of Dear Leader and the right-wing agenda is out of place and unwelcome.

Now Sen. Elizabeth Warren has weighed in with her response to an invitation from Fox News do to her own town hall. And her reply shows precisely how every Democrat ought to respond when being asked to voluntarily subject themselves to the bias and abuse of these avowed media foes:

That tweet initiated a thread that properly characterized Fox News as the politically prejudiced scam that they have been since inception. Warren’s take down was both brutal and insightful and deserves to be read in its entirety. What follows is the content of her next six tweets:

“Fox News is a hate-for-profit racket that gives a megaphone to racists and conspiracy theorists. I won’t ask Democratic primary voters to tune into an outlet that profits from racism and hate in order to see our candidates. Sign up now to join me and take a stand.”

“Hate-for-profit works only if there’s profit, so Fox News balances a mix of bigotry, racism, and outright lies with enough legit journalism to make the claim to advertisers that it’s a reputable news outlet. It’s all about dragging in ad money—big ad money.”

“But Fox News is struggling as more and more advertisers pull out of their hate-filled space. A Democratic town hall gives the Fox News sales team a way to tell potential sponsors it’s safe to buy ads on Fox—no harm to their brand or reputation (spoiler: It’s not).”

“Here’s one place we can fight back: I won’t ask millions of Democratic primary voters to tune into an outlet that profits from racism and hate in order to see our candidates—especially when Fox will make even more money adding our valuable audience to their ratings numbers.”

“I’m running a campaign to reach all Americans. I take questions from the press and voters everywhere I go. I’ve already held town halls in 17 states and Puerto Rico—including WV, OH, GA, UT, TN, TX, CO, MS & AL.”

“I’ve done 57 media avails and 131 interviews, taking over 1,100 questions from press just since January. Fox News is welcome to come to my events just like any other outlet. But a Fox News town hall adds money to the hate-for-profit machine. To which I say: hard pass.”

There isn’t much to add to that. Except to note that Democrats should not be lending their credibility to a network that exists to malign them and prevent them from having any political success. Also, every study shows that Fox News viewers are the equivalent of cult members whose loyalty and opinions are immovable. They are hopelessly gaslit victims of Trump’s propaganda. They are a fanatical, irredeemably warped cult of right-wing extremists. They simply cannot advance the prospects of any Democratic candidate. Particularly during the primary where the candidates are only trying to appeal to their own party’s voters.

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

Refusing to reward Fox’s hostility with guest spots isn’t about being afraid to face their lame hosts. That’s a cake walk. It’s about refusing to help them sanitizing their hateful agenda and outright lies. And if anyone is exhibiting fear it’s Trump. He is so petrified of MSNBC and CNN that he has never permitted these networks to interview him as president. Then again, Trump’s whole persona is rampant with examples of how frightened he is by any sort of challenge. His Twitter feed is dripping with panic and dread of everything from his dismal polling to his anxiety about being loved by his authoritarian idols, Putin, Kim, etc. And you can bet he’s having nightmares about special counsel Robert Mueller.


Trump’s Shameless Hucksterism Proves that He’s Working for Fox News, Not America

Posted by on May 13, 2019 at 2:07 pm. 1 Comments :

As Donald Trump’s presidency sinks further into the muck of his criminality and perversion of justice, he is becoming ever more reliant on his State TV operation, Fox News. Media Matters has documented that he has spent almost the entire year cowering in the safety of his Fox bunker with eleven out of twelve of his nationally televised interviews at the blatantly rightist propaganda network.

Donald Trump Fox News

Fox News serves a distinct purpose for Trump. They are there to prop up every proposal, commentary, and attack that he throws out from Twitter, his cult rallies, or his ego-salving visits with his Fox friends. Regardless of the obvious falsity of whatever he is peddling, Fox treats it as if it’s gospel. Likewise, the network will steadfastly defend Trump from any and all criticism. They will malign Democrats, Republicans, or anyone else who dares to disagree with Dear Leader.

For his part, Trump is greatly appreciative for that blind, unflinching support. He is also dependent on it. Which may explain why he is constantly returning the favor by exalting Fox News and their stable of Trump-fluffers. In the past year he has posted dozens of tweets exhorting his Deplorables to watch Fox.

For the record, News Corpse has compiled some of the prime examples of this naked hucksterism. Keep in mind that this list does not include the innumerable instances when Trump simply cited something complimentary that was said about him by Fox’s slobbering hosts or quoted some sycophantic guest. These are just a few of the times that Trump explicitly directed his disciples to tune-in to his State TV network and enjoy the televised knob-polishing (The dates link to Trump’s tweets, for those with stomachs strong enough to visit his Twitter page):

  • May 13, 2019 – Thank you @foxandfriends, great show this morning and congratulations on your number one (by far) rating. Well deserved!
  • May 10, 2019 – V.P. Mike Pence will be interviewed on @foxandfriends at 7:30 A.M. Enjoy!
  • May 8, 2019 – Just landed in Panama City Beach, Florida for a rally beginning at 8:00 P.M. Eastern. Will be live on @FoxNews! #MAGA
  • Apr 27, 2019 – Just arrived in Green Bay, Wisconsin for a #MAGA Rally. Big crowds – join me at 8:00 P.M. Eastern, live on @FoxNews!
  • Apr 22, 2019 – Just spoke to @LouDobbs. Will be doing a very interesting show tonight at 7:00 P.M. Eastern on @FoxBusiness!
  • Apr 25, 2019 – I will be interviewed by @seanhannity tonight at 9:00 PM on @FoxNews. Enjoy!
  • Apr 23, 2019 – Thanks Rush! @FoxNews
  • Apr 23, 2019 – Sorry to say but @foxandfriends is by far the best of the morning political shows on television. It rightfully has BY FAR the highest ratings
  • Apr 20, 2019 – Check out @MarkLevinShow: Life, Liberty & Levin on @FoxNews now (7pm)!
  • Apr 18, 2019 – Attorney General William Barr’s Press Conference today at 9:30 AM ET. Watch on @FoxNews @OANN
  • Mar 28, 2017 – Watch @foxandfriends now on Podesta and Russia!
  • Mar 25, 2017 – Watch @JudgeJeanine on @FoxNews tonight at 9:00 P.M.
  • Mar 8, 2019 – Thank you @foxandfriends. Great show!
  • Feb 28, 2019 – I will be interviewed by @seanhannity at 9:00 P.M. on @FoxNews. Enjoy!
  • Feb 28, 2019 – Everyone MUST watch the opening to @TuckerCarlson – A Classic!
  • Feb 18, 2019 – Great analysis by @foxandfriends!
  • Jan 12, 2019 – I will be interviewed by Jeanine Pirro at 9:00 P.M. on @FoxNews. Watch @JesseBWatters before and @greggutfeld after. All terrific people.
  • Jan 10, 2019 – Will be interviewed at the Border by @seanhannity on @FoxNews tonight at 9:00. Enjoy!
  • Jun 15, 2018 – Wow, the highest rated (by far) morning show, @foxandfriends, is on the Front Lawn of the White House. Maybe I’ll have to take an unannounced trip down to see them? (He did)
  • Jun 2, 2018 – Real @FoxNews is doing great, Fake News CNN is dead!

Trump has often said that he doesn’t have time to watch TV. But the stark evidence of his tube addiction is impossible to ignore. And the extreme bias he shows in favor of the network that is most adulatory to him can only be explained as a symptom of his increasingly severe malignant narcissism. And while Donald Trump is temporary pimple on America’s ass, Fox News is a danger that was here before him and will persist after he’s gone.

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


Trump’s Lies About China Paying Tariffs Gets Fact-Checked Live – On Fox News!

Posted by on May 12, 2019 at 11:00 am. 5 Comments :

America is currently suffering through a historically unique period wherein it is being misled on a daily basis by both it’s president and the State TV network (aka Fox News) that is propping him up. Donald Trump has been documented to have told more than 10,000 lies since his inauguration. And the pace of those falsehoods is increasing as he gets ever more desperate due to the unfolding web of criminality that he is frantically trying to cover up.

Donald Trump

The risk this poses for the country is significant. Trump doesn’t care how dishonest his impotent rants are, so long as they provide a distraction from his impending legal jeopardy. And he doesn’t even care if they introduce threats of war or other serious harm to the nation – and the world. Representative of that reckless disregard for the welfare millions is an entirely manufactured economic crisis that Trump has latched onto with fanatical fury. His shameless ignorance of economic and fiscal affairs is the real crisis that America faces.

Last week Trump threatened China with increased tariffs if they didn’t capitulate to demands that Trump seems obsessed with but refuses to specify. He tweeted repeatedly that China would suffer if they didn’t comply, throwing the stock market into a tizzy that produced a 600 point drop. Trump believes (or pretends to) that the tariffs he seeks to impose would be paid by China. Probably around the same time that Mexico pays for his idiotic border/vanity wall. He even said that the tariffs would be more financially advantageous than actual trade with China.

Every economist with a pulse knows that tariffs are not paid by countries. They are paid by the importing businesses (i.e. U.S. companies), and those costs are generally passed on to U.S. consumers. It’s a de facto tax that would burden every American family. Nevertheless, Trump tweeted or retweeted his ignorant assertions twenty-six times just in the past week. He is apparently impervious to the facts and logic associated with this (or any) issue.

On Sunday morning Trump’s stubbornness was brought into the spotlight by his favorite “news” network Fox News. His Director of the National Economic Council, Larry Kudlow, was interviewed by Chris Wallace, when the subject of tariffs came up. Kudlow tried to obediently tow the Trump line, but his embarrassing failure to do so resulted in this exchange (video below):

Wallace: It’s not China that pays tariffs. It’s the American importers, the American companies that pay what is, in effect, a tax increase, and oftentimes passes it on to U.S. consumers.
Kudlow: Fair enough. In fact, both sides will pay. Both sides will pay in these things.
Wallace: But the tariffs on goods coming into the country, the Chinese aren’t paying.
Kudlow: No but the Chinese will suffer GDP losses and so forth, with respect to a diminishing export market and goods that they may need…
Wallace: I understand that. But the President says that China pays the tariffs. They may suffer consequences, but it’s U.S. businesses and U.S. consumers who pay, correct?
Kudlow: Yes, to some extent. I don’t disagree with that. Again, both sides will suffer on this.

First of all, as Wallace pointed out, whether or not China suffers GDP losses is a completely different question than who pays the tariffs. And Trump said explicitly that China’s “massive payments go directly to the Treasury of the U.S.” That’s a lie that even Kudlow couldn’t support. Trump also said that “Tariffs will make our Country MUCH STRONGER, not weaker.” Which Kudlow unequivocally contradicted by saying that “both sides will suffer on this.”

That last comment should ring in the ears of all Americans. Trump’s chief economic advisor admitted on national television that Trump is causing the U.S. to suffer. Many Americans already know that. Particularly the farmers who have already been hurt so badly by Trump’s tariffs that he had to promise them a bailout paid for by every other American.

And you can add to the list of sufferers all of those impacted by Trump’s sabotage of ObamaCare; those dealing with the effects of natural disasters, especially in Puerto Rico; those whose wages have been stagnant for years as Trump’s Republican Nationalist Party opposed increasing the minimum wage; and those residing on a planet that is rapidly deteriorating due to deliberate abuse in pursuit of profit. When it comes to making other people suffer, Donald Trump can finally take credit for really being the best at something.

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