Fox News

Trump Visits Fox News to Wax Idiotic About Both Economics and Pandemics

Posted by on March 6, 2020 at 12:32 pm. 2 Comments :

From the first days that the coronavirus was reported to be spreading throughout the world, including in the United States, Donald Trump has sought to minimize the risks and the potential that it could escalate into a full blown pandemic. He has understated the infection rate and the number of fatalities. And he has focused his attention on the economic impact, rather than the cost of human lives.

Donald Trump TV Set

On Thursday evening Trump appeared on Fox News for a town hall meeting. it was his second Fox News interview in as many days (the first being a suck up phone-in with Sean Hannity). The Fox News town hall was rife with the sort of lies and disinformation that is the hallmark of both Trump and Fox. For instance, Trump claimed that he would protect Social Security, even as he explicitly said he would be cutting entitlements. He also promised to provide “great healthcare,” despite never having offered any proposals, and actively fighting in court to kill Obamacare.

With regard to the coronavirus, which is currently the most pressing issue on the table, Trump continued his efforts to trivialize the very real vulnerabilities the nation faces. “I think we’re in great shape,” he lied, and “I think we made a great move. We closed it down. We stopped it.” Of course, he has not come close to stopping the coronavirus. It has actually spread to twenty-one states with over 225 cases in the U.S. And its containment is far from certain because we don’t even have enough test kits to identify those infected.

RELATED: Are Trump’s Cult Rallies Breeding Grounds for the Coronavirus?

However, perhaps the most troubling remarks Trump made were in connection to how the virus might impact the U.S. economy. He presented his deranged viewpoint that there is a fiscal silver lining to the suffering and death that the virus has already caused. Surely the families of the victims will be pleased to hear this (video below):

“A lot of people are staying here. They’re going to be doing their business here. They’re going to be traveling here. They’ll be going to resorts here. And, you know, we have a great place … we’re going to have Americans staying home.”

Virtually everything in that comment is patently false and without even a hint of factual basis. First of all, there is no evidence that Americans are traveling more within the U.S. To the contrary, more people are avoiding all travel, even domestically. Airlines are canceling flights due to the absence of bookings. As for doing more business, that too is unsupported by any data. Many Americans are staying home rather than risk exposure in public places like restaurants and theaters. Businesses themselves are canceling participation in conferences and trade shows, and they are limiting their employees’ travel.

What’s more, even if there were some sliver of truth to Trump’s bizarrely rosy scenario, it wouldn’t provide an economic benefit for the country. That’s because the U.S. makes more money from the spending by tourists coming here than it would lose from Americans going overseas. So there would be a net loss of revenue if Americans spend at home, while foreigners decline to visit.

There is also something notable about the alleged revenue that Trump falsely claimed would be realized by a virus-driven quarantine of travelers. Virtually all of it would come from businesses that Trump himself operates (hotels, resorts, etc.). How convenient! But the fact that the stock market has declined sharply indicates that most investors believe that the broader American business landscape is going to be hurt severely by the repercussions of this budding pandemic.

The impact on the economy by the coronavirus is really the only thing that Trump cares about. And even that isn’t because he’s concerned about people’s financial welfare. He’s only worried about how it will affect his prospects for reelection. Consequently, he needs to lie about both the inherent dangers the virus portends for human life, as well as how it influences the direction of the market. And anyone dumb enough to believe Trump’s self-serving blather is going to end up much sicker and poorer.

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

Donna Brazile Tells Trump-Fluffing GOP Chair to ‘Go to Hell’ Live on Fox News

Posted by on March 3, 2020 at 11:30 am. 1 Comments :

The Republican Party’s penchant for hypocrisy is legendary. They profess to advocate family values while supporting Donald Trump, an adulterous president who is on his third wife, all of whom he has cheated on. They disingenuously embrace patriotism while enabling Trump’s treasonous aiding and abetting hostile foreign governments that attack our democracy. They claim to have faith while idolizing an irreligious narcissist who calls himself “the Chosen One.”

Donald Trump

On Tuesday morning Republicans were apoplectic over a segment on Fox News where Donna Brazile lashed out at the GOP for interfering in Democratic politics. That’s something that Trump himself has been spending a remarkable amount of time on (mostly advancing the mission of Vladimir Putin). Never mind that no one takes his inane analysis of Democrats seriously. And why should they? His rancid animosity toward fellow Americans who don’t happen to worship him is the core of his moronic commentary.

So on Fox’s America’s Newsroom co-host Sandra Smith prefaced her question for Brazile by playing a clip of Republican National Committee Chairwoman, Ronna Romney McDaniel, speculating about how the Democratic primary is progressing. McDaniel said that…

“It’s leading toward a brokered convention which will be rigged against Bernie [Sanders] if those super delegates have their way.”

Following that clip, Smith threw the question to Brazile for her response. And it was a doozy:

“First of all, I want to talk to my Republicans. Stay the hell out of our race. I get sick and tired of listening to Republicans tell me and the Democrats about our process. They don’t even have a process. They are canceling primaries. They have winner take all. They don’t have the kind of democracy that we see on the Democratic side. And for people to use Russian talking points to sow division among Americans, that is stupid.

“So Ronna, go to hell! We are not trying to prevent anyone from becoming the nominee. If you have the delegates to win, you will win. This notion that Democrats are somehow out there trying to put hurdles or road blocks before one candidate, that’s stupid.

“I know what’s going on. They are scared of Democrats coming together to defeat Donald Trump. They need to be focusing on what we’re focusing on in the Democratic Party. And that is preventing foreign interference in our elections. And stop using Russian talking points, Madame Chairwoman.”

OUCH! That is precisely how Democrats should reply to the preposterous analyses that Republicans put out about Democrats. Brazile hit every salient point. The GOP is canceling primaries because they seem to be afraid that some of their cult members will wander off and vote for Bill Weld. Fox News has, to date, refused to even interview Weld. Trump is exposing his weakness. Brazile also noted that McDaniel was parroting Russian talking points. Actually, they are more than talking points. They are part of an orchestrated strategy to create discord and chaos. And Brazile forcefully defended the Democratic Party’s neutrality. The main proponents of the conspiracy theory that the primary is rigged are Trump and Putin.

This attempt by Fox News to ambush Brazile is just another reason why Democrats should never appear on Fox. They have only one objective, and that is to harm Democrats. In this case it backfired on them in a big way. But it is still giving Fox and their Trump-fluffing surrogates the opportunity to condemn Brazile for her alleged incivility. But just to put that hypocrisy in context, see the video below that compiles Trump’s frequent use of profanities that apparently doesn’t bother the pure as virgins GOP or Fox News.

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

It’s Sunday and the Trump Cult Worship Service is in Full Effect on Fox News

Posted by on March 1, 2020 at 2:01 pm. 4 Comments :

Hallelujah, America! Once again it’s time to bask in the glory of Gawd and his messenger, and divine profit, Donald Trump. So tune in to the Holy State Television Network (aka Fox News) and get ready for the light of the Dear Leader to shine down on your sinful, unworthy souls. The hour of redemption is upon us as the “Curvy Couch” potatoes of Fox and Friends shower the faithful StormTrumpers with his beneficence.

Donald Trump Hugs Flag

The Trump-fluffers on Fox News are well known for their drooling adulation of their Lardass Savior Donald Trump. They spend every minute of their broadcast day fawning over him. They will unflinchingly defend him no matter how abhorrent his words or deeds. And they will viciously malign his critics regardless of how accurate their criticisms.

However, on this Sunday morning, they went farther than their usual shameless, bootlicking sycophancy. Discussing Trump’s lie and hate filled rant/speech at the Conservative Political Action conference (CPAC), they devolved into a full-scale, evangelical, Christo-Trumpian, revival meeting. This episode featured a guest appearance by Kayleigh McEnany, the national press secretary for Trump’s 2020 reelection Campaign. McEnany was introduced by co-host Jedediah Bila, with an opening question that was dripping with orange-tinted slobber (video below):

“I thought he did an amazing job. I thought Trump did what Trump does best yesterday. Is this gonna be impossible for Democrats to beat? That he’s able to get on stage and just rock a room like that?”

So Bila was mighty impressed with Trump’s speech. Never mind that it was mostly a rehash of every other speech he gives. He lobbed infantile insults at Democrats. He took credit for imaginary accomplishments. He lashed out the media for telling the truth about him. And he lavished praise upon himself. According to Fox News, relentlessly spewing cheesy put downs to a bunch of pre-screened, glassy-eyed disciples is “rocking the room.” And they think that should make Democrats nervous?

Bila was actually right, though, when she said that Trump “did what Trump does best.” Because wallowing in a sty of narcissistic exaltation is indeed Trump’s strong suit. Bila’s “question” produced this pitifully brainwashed response from McEnany:

“No Democrat can compare to what we saw at CPAC and what I routinely see at each and every on of the President’s rallies. I mean, this is a president who is energetic, enthusiastic, quick-witted. He has the ability to just captivate a room. And yesterday hugging the flag, kissing the flag. He’s just distinctly Americana. And it’s something that Bernie Sanders will never have. He wants this to become Venezuela, not love America. No one can compete with what we saw on that stage. He’s just electric.”

Indeed, no Democrat could emulate Trump’s manic, masturbatory bombast. And “electric” is an oddly appropriate description since his ignorant, self-wankery is pretty shocking. And the same goes for his cringe-worthy sexual assault on the American flag that McEnany found so captivating.

The most consistent thing about Trump’s CPAC address was how horribly offensive it was. He resembled an angry, unhinged, “Real White Housewife” character more than a world leader. He told bad jokes, exuded contempt, and whined incessantly at his perceived victimhood. To say that it was not presidential would be an Olympic-grade understatement. And yet, this is the sort of deranged oratory that inspires worshipful devotion from Fox News. Seriously? News? That level of blind adoration can only be described as a cult. See for yourself.

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

Trump is Whining (Again) About Fox News Poll Where He’s Losing to Every Top Democrat

Posted by on February 28, 2020 at 12:35 pm. 2 Comments :

There is one thing that can be reliably assumed about Donald Trump at any given moment in time. He is probably whining. That’s pretty much his resting state of mind. He is without a doubt the most cowardly crybaby ever to occupy the White House. He even admitted it on national TV in 2016, saying that “I am the most fabulous whiner. I do whine, because I want to win. I am a whiner and I keep whining and whining until I win.” Duh!

Donald Trump Pacifier Fox

So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Trump is wailing about a new poll by Fox News that shows him losing to every top Democratic in the race. The poll has Biden beating Trump 49% to 41%. Sanders 49-42. Bloomberg 48-40. Warren 46-43. Buttigieg 45-42. And Klobuchar 44-43. Notice that Trump never scores higher than 43% in any of these match-ups. So an obviously rattled Trump pounded out this frantic tweet:

For the record, most of the 2016 polls, even those by Fox News, were pretty accurate. They showed Hillary Clinton beating Trump by about 3%, which is precisely what happened. Remember, these are polls of voters, not the electoral college, and Clinton won the popular vote by 3,000,000 votes. FiveThirtyEight rates Fox News pollsters (Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. Research) a respectable “A-“.

But none of that matters because Trump’s complaints aren’t rooted in reality to begin with. He has often criticized Fox News polling in the past when they delivered bad news. And he routinely complains that Fox has “always been terrible to me.” But he’s ignoring all the times he praised Fox for surveys that had more positive results.

RELATED: Are Trump’s Cult Rallies Breeding Grounds for the Coronavirus?

Trump’s perspective is always colored by whatever he views is in his best interest at the moment. It’s a bizarre psychosis that springs from his malignant narcissism. If someone compliments him, they are a rock solid ally. If someone criticizes him, they have always been a bitter enemy. He simply has no grasp of the nuances of fluid, human interactions. And he will use whatever data he finds most beneficial, even if he has to make it up. For instance, Trump also tweeted this Friday morning:

The problem with that is that it was a retweet that is several days old and does not reflect a “new” Rasmussen poll. In fact, the most recent Rasmussen poll has Trump at only 47%. What’s more, he has never had 95% GOP approval, no matter how many times he tweets it.

Despite Trump’s disappointment with Fox News, he just scheduled a town hall on the network for next Thursday. It will be one of the rare occasions where Trump will be interviewed on Fox by someone other than Sean Hannity or one of the other devoted Trump-fluffers. Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum will host the affair. However, their previous interviews with Trump were dominated by softball questions and no substantive follow ups.

What’s peculiar is why Fox News is having this town hall at all. Trump is running virtually unopposed, so what’s the point in providing a platform when there isn’t a primary contest in progress? The only plausible reason is that Fox wants to make sure that Trump isn’t overshadowed by the Democrats who are engaged in a heated primary. In other words, it’s free advertising for Trump.

What Fox isn’t doing is offering the same thing to Bill Weld, the Republican former governor of Massachusetts who actually is running against Trump in the GOP primary. Both Fox News and Trump are pretending that Weld doesn’t exist. The party has canceled several primaries so that Trump doesn’t have to face an opposing candidate. And Fox has refused to to even book Weld for an interview.

If Trump is as confidant of his 2020 prospects as he keeps insisting, then why is he suppressing this primary opposition? For the same reason he is whining about the Fox News poll. He is scared. He recognizes the political risk that he faces if the economy falters. And his moaning notwithstanding, he does realize that polls reflect the tenor of public opinion, and that opinion now is decidedly – and appropriately – anti-Trump.

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

Sanders Surrogate Tells Fox News that ‘You Guys Have to Stop Lying on the Air’

Posted by on February 26, 2020 at 1:16 pm. 2 Comments :

Democrats should not be wasting their time by appearing on Fox News. There is no upside to subjecting oneself to the abuse and dishonesty that is the core of Fox’s editorial mission. Fox News has demonstrated repeatedly that they have no interest in presenting fair coverage of Democrats or liberal policies. And now more than ever, they exist to promote Donald Trump and to malign his critics.

Bernie Sanders, Fox News

If anyone needs further proof that Fox News is anathema to progressive politics, or any expressions of truth, they only need to look at the interview of Amer Zahr, a Bernie Sanders surrogate, that was conducted on Fox Wednesday morning (video below). Host Ed Henry seemed determined to misrepresent the positions of Sanders in the most deceitful terms imaginable. He framed his questions with overt bias asking Zahr to address “not just the plans that are socialist in nature, but the fact that Bernie Sanders on that stage continues to defend the regime of Fidel Castro.” Which Sanders has not done.

It’s fair to say that Sanders displayed some rather impolitic instincts by allowing that Castro’s Cuba did advance certain social policies that included access to education and healthcare. But that’s a long ways from defending his regime. It’s just bad form to appear to be complimenting a dictator, even if the comment is true. But then, after a long and slanted lead in, Henry enumerated some of Castro’s atrocities (murder, rape, imprisonment) and asked the preposterous question, “How do you defend that?” Well, of course, no one defends that. And the very phrasing of the question to imply that Zahr or Sanders does defend it is just plain repulsive. Zahr offered a more elaborate reply:

“It is almost as if maybe you guys weren’t listening to Bernie Sanders last night and what he said repeatedly which is that — and the same thing President Obama said — which is, there were some good things that came out of what he did but authoritarianism which he practiced and Bernie Sanders was very clear that Fidel Castro was an authoritarian, that that should be denounced at every turn, that dissent should be allowed and shouldn’t be imprisoned. He said that over and over again.”

But Henry wasn’t going to be deterred from his mission of noxious slander. He followed up by outright lying that Sanders said that “he’s OK with socialism and communism.” Which, of course, Sanders never said. So Zahr replied with surprise and disgust that…

“You guys have to stop lying on the air. He didn’t say he’s OK with socialism and communism. That’s just not true. He said he is not OK with authoritarianism wherever it happens. And you guys want to throw around these terms, that’s fine, the truth is our ideas are popular with the American people, these are progressive ideas.”

Stung by reality, Henry tried to dismiss the garbage he had been spewing by pretending that “I’m asking a question.” But as Zahr noted, “It’s a ridiculous question.” Henry was, in fact, building a false narrative to undermine Sanders and the Democrats. He could not have been more obvious and offensive.

This however, is an object lesson on why Democrats need to shun Fox News. They will be subjected to this treatment every time. What possible benefit is there to suffering through such abuse? You are not going to change the minds of any Fox News cult viewers. You are only letting Fox exploit you to affect some measure of credibility. And while some of the responses by Zahr were satisfying and admirable, they do not justify having lowered oneself into the Fox abyss of lies.

The Sanders campaign has an odd relationship with Fox News that is somewhat self-destructive. On the one hand they recognize that Fox is profoundly biased and dishonest. They know that Fox produces stories like the one just two days ago that claimed that Sanders was to blame for the stock market crash. (no, really). On the other hand, Sanders’ campaign manager recently made the bizarre comment that Fox News is more fair to Sanders than MSNBC. But this interview is the best evidence that that is not only untrue, it’s downright delusional.

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

HOLY CRIPE: Fox News Blames Stock Market Plunge On – Bernie Sanders?

Posted by on February 24, 2020 at 12:15 pm. 3 Comments :

American investors woke up Monday morning to see a devastating sell off on Wall Street and other markets around the world. The uncontested view of economic experts is that the sharp decline resulted from growing concerns about the coronavirus (Covid-19) as it continues to spread. Factories in China are shut down. Trade is being curtailed. International festivals and conferences have been canceled. The global financial impact is undeniable.

Donald Trump, Stock Market

Well, undeniable everywhere but on Fox News, where good news is always due to the heavenly inspired works of Donald Trump, and bad news can only be the work of Satan’s minions in the Democratic Party. Fox News host Charles Payne, in what may be the most idiotic economic analysis of the year to date, sought to carry out that doctrine during an in interview as the markets were in the process of imploding (video below). He was asked by the allegedly “straight news” anchor, Ed Henry, this brazenly leading question:

“Is the sell off all coronavirus, or is this the first time the markets are open since Bernie Sanders took control of the Democratic battle?”

The audacity that it takes to allow that question to slither through one’s lips is impressive. It certainly is the first time the markets have been open since the Nevada primary caucus, but that has nothing to do with the sell off on Wall Street. How would that explain the sell off in markets around the world where Sanders is not running for anything? What’s more, Sanders’ win in Nevada is hardly “taking control” (a loaded term in itself) of the Democratic battle. It is just the third contest out of fifty (plus territories), and represents a small percentage of votes cast and delegates acquired.

Payne’s response to Henry’s stridently biased question was that “The Bernie factor is finally rearing its head in the stock market.” He then rattled off a list of companies in the health sector that are suffering big losses. Of course health-related companies would naturally be hurt by news of an impending global pandemic. And that harm would be throughout the world, just as it is currently playing out. But that obvious fact was incomprehensible to Payne and his Fox colleagues. Their deliberately dishonest banter continued with the following exchange:

Sandra Smith: Can you directly attribute that loss to Bernie Sanders?
Payne: Absolutely…there’s absolutely no doubt. [later adding] This is the first time, I think, that Wall Street has taken Bernie Sanders very seriously.

“Absolutely no doubt”? Neither Wall Street, nor anyone else, should take Fox News seriously. Payne is not just speculating on a possible contributing factor. He is insisting that Wall Street’s alleged fear of Bernie Sanders is undeniably the only cause of the worst drop in the Dow since December of 2018. That’s not just glaringly false, it’s painfully stupid and grossly irresponsible. Ironically, throughout this segment the chyron on Fox News read: “STOCK MARKET SELLOFF ON CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS”

Payne is supposed to be one of Fox’s financial experts (his own program is on the Fox Business Network), although like everyone else at State TV, he weaves his right-wing opinions into all of his comments. He recently made the bizarre assertion that “Wall Street Loves Donald Trump,” as if that was a positive endorsement for his reelection. And like many of the men on Fox, Payne has been charged with sexual assault. Fox settled a lawsuit with Scottie Nell Hughes, a former contributor, who had accused Payne of rape.

The political biases of Fox News are not news to anyone. And with the advent of Donald Trump, they have become even more conspicuously partisan. But this ludicrous attack on Sanders is grotesquely out of bounds, even for Fox. They are fully indoctrinated into the Trump Cult. And nothing better demonstrates that then this asinine attempt to blame Sanders for a pandemic-driven market decline that he clearly had nothing to do with. There is apparently a virus spreading through the Fox News studios that is turning all their brains into oatmeal.

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

Trump-Fluffers at Fox News Say the Media and Democrats are the ‘Agents of Russia’

Posted by on February 21, 2020 at 1:58 pm. 6 Comments :

A new report has revealed that Russia is, as expected, interfering in U.S. elections on behalf of Donald Trump. The report discloses that congressional intelligence committees were briefed on this threat within the past couple of weeks.

Fox News Friends

Upon learning about this, Trump became irate. Not because Russia was trying to subvert America’s democracy again, but because Democrats in congress were among those who were told about it. Obviously Trump is very concerned that Russia’s efforts on his behalf be concealed from the people and their representatives. And as a consequence of this “betrayal” of unflinching loyalty to Dear Leader, Trump fired Joe Maguire, the Director of National Intelligence, and installed a sycophantic bootlicker with zero experience, Rick Grenell, in his place as acting director. Then, of course, Trump took to Twitter to lie about the whole thing:

First of all, this wasn’t launched by Democrats. It was Trump’s own DNI chief who compiled the intelligence and informed Congress, as he was required to do by law. But more troubling is the fact that Trump is, once again, absolving Russia of any responsibility for their blatant acts of cyber-espionage. Just as he did after the 2016 election, Trump is taking Vladimir Putin’s side and declaring that the charges of election interference are a hoax. And on top of that, he falsely accuses Democrats of manufacturing the charges for political gain.

Naturally, Fox News was right there to prop up Trump’s anti-American babbling. On Friday morning’s episode of Fox and Friends, the “Curvy Couch” potatoes went even further than Trump to malign Democrats and the press as “Agents of Russia” (video below). “Alright let’s be clear about what this really all is,” co-host Pete Hegseth began. “This is all an attempt to discredit President Trump. That’s it. Delegitimize him all the way.” Then he elaborated saying that…

“Every single Democrat that parrots what they’re saying, they’re working together, they are the agents of Russia. This is what Russia wants! They want to sow discord and misinformation and delegitimize our republic, destabilize it because they’re not our friends and they know that when we’re strong they’re in a worse position – which they’ve done for years before President Trump. This is what they do.

“The Democrats, the media, fell for it. And the keep falling for it because they hate Trump so much they’re willing to parrot what the Kremlin is saying. They are the agents of Russia. Not Donald Trump, not this White House. It is the people that are spinning this.and continuing to drive this narrative.”

There’s a lot of derp to unpack in those two paragraphs. To begin with, Hegseth is asserting that talking about the Russian campaign to help Trump win reelection is “what Russia wants.” That’s clearly the opposite of reality. Russia’s intentions were to covertly disrupt the election, while benefiting Trump’s candidacy. What Russia wants is for people to talk about Russia’s innocence and how corrupt and dishonest American intelligence agencies are. Which is exactly what Trump and Fox News are so helpfully doing.

Hegseth also contends that Democrats and the media “fell for” Russia’s plot to get them to uncover the Russian plot. How insidious! And idiotic. It goes without saying that Russia did not intend to get caught and have their spying be broadcast around the world. That notion is almost as stupid as Hegseth’s next comment that Trump haters – Democrats and the media – are parroting “what the Kremlin is saying.” That could only be true if the Kremlin were saying that Russia is meddling in U.S. elections and that their actions are illegal and intolerable. That’s what Democrats are saying, but it is plainly not what the Kremlin is saying.

If anything, it is Trump and Fox News who are parroting the Kremlin. They are all saying that Russia isn’t doing anything wrong and any claim to the contrary is misinformation. Trump and his Reich-Wing confederates are unified in disputing what even his own intelligence agencies have proven to be true.

The purpose of this deceit is to pacify Trump’s ego. He thinks any validation of Russia’s attempts to steal the election, no matter how accurate, are personal attacks on him. Consequently, Trump will insult America’s intelligence professionals and he will take Putin’s side in denying the reality that Russia is aggressively trying to undermine U.S. democracy. And Fox News, as always, will obediently march along in lock-step with Trump’s reckless and treasonous lies.

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

REALLY? Trump Quotes Pro-Impeachment Fox News Judge to Defend Roger Stone

Posted by on February 18, 2020 at 1:39 pm. NO Comments :

Last week Donald Trump fired off a flurry of tweets in defense of his longtime political guru, and now convicted felon, Roger Stone. Trump’s Attorney Genuflect Bill Barr heard and obeyed the commands to seek leniency for Stone. Although Barr also made an obviously staged attempt to reclaim some of the independence that the Department of Justice is supposed to maintain.

Donald Trump, Roger Stone

Barr whined that Trump’s tweets made his job harder. By which he meant that it’s harder to conspire to cover up crimes if Trump keeps confessing to them in public. And it’s harder to pretend to be impartial when Trump is exposing your sleazy collaboration. But Barr’s entreaties to get Trump to clam up were apparently a huge failure. On Tuesday morning Trump, once again, lashed out at the rule of law on behalf of Stone:

Trump’s pigheadedness shouldn’t surprise anyone. He is infamous for blazing his own path no matter how ignorant or destructive. What’s peculiar about these tweets is that they are quoting someone who Trump has viciously maligned in the past.

Judge Andrew Napolitano is the Senior Legal Analyst of Fox News. And in that position he has provided commentary regarding Trump’s legal tribulations with impeachment. In Napolitano’s opinion, the evidence of Trump’s guilt was “overwhelming.” He also stated that there is “undisputed evidence that he abused his power,” and he elaborated saying that…

“Everyone who believes in the rule of law should be terrified of a president who thinks and behaves as if it does not apply to him. As the DOJ has stated repeatedly, impeachment is the proper constitutional remedy for that.”

Napolitano was unceremoniously benched by Fox News throughout the Senate impeachment hearings, likely due to his legal assessments that conflict with the rest of the Trump-fluffers on the State TV Network. But now Trump is embracing the views of Napolitano that were expressed during an appearance on Fox and Friends (video below).

In this case Napolitano argues in favor of Stone getting a new trial. However, a new trial would not be warranted simply because a juror had an opinion about elements of the case. Every juror is likely to have opinions if they are conscious human beings. Jurors are routinely asked if their opinions would prevent them from being impartial. If not, they can serve. A juror would have to allow their opinions to bias their deliberations in order to declare a mistrial. So far there is no evidence of that.

It remains to be seen what the judge will decide with regard to the verdicts in this case. It’s hard to believe that a new trial would produce a different result considering all the available evidence against Stone. Remember, all eleven of the other jurors agreed that Stone is guilty on all counts.

But if Trump is adamant that Napolitano’s advice be adhered to with regard to Stone, then let’s be consistent. Trump should immediately resign due to the ample evidence of his own guilt that Napolitano so painstakingly laid out. I would have no problem with accepting both of Napolitano’s assessments. So how about we grant Stone a new trial, and escort Trump out of the White House? That seems fair.

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

Scandal Starved Fox News Devours Moldy Story on Clinton and AG Lynch

Posted by on February 17, 2020 at 3:01 pm. 16 Comments :

Ever since Donald Trump delivered his Dystopian State of the Union address a couple of weeks ago, he has demonstrated his failure to grasp the consequences of having been impeached. He has embarked on a campaign of paranoid expulsions of perceived enemies from his own administration. And he has exposed a diseased and frightened mindset that makes it plain that he hasn’t learned a thing, as some terminally naive Republican senators presumed he would.

Donald Trump, Fox News, Fake

Among the Trumpian atrocities that have occurred in recent weeks is the brazenly biased interference of Trump’s Attorney Genuflect, Bill Barr, in the case of convicted felon, and longtime Trump political guru, Roger Stone. This was an ethical breach so egregious that more than 2,000 former Justice Department officials from both parties have called for Barr’s resignation.

The Trump playbook on responding to charges against him is as predictable as it is shallow. He merely seeks to manufacture similar charges against his opponents. However, there isn’t anything that could be plausibly be asserted with regard to the administration of justice by Democrats that is remotely comparable. So Trump World is stretching completely out of shape to fight back on this one.

What they have apparently settled on is a revisitation of a meeting between Bill Clinton and Attorney General Loretta Lynch at an Arizona airport four years ago. There was never any evidence of anything improper in that meeting, although Republicans latched unto it like a pack of rabid hounds hoping to uncover some wrongdoing. Despite their best efforts, they failed utterly. Clinton, after all, was not the President, and Hillary was no longer in government, so neither had any influence to wield. Therefore, any comparison of that event to Trump putting pressure on Barr is ludicrous.

But that didn’t stop Fox News from interviewing an author whose new book promises “explosive new information” about the “Secret on the Tarmac.” Christopher Sign joined the “Curvy Couch” potatoes on Fox and Friends to discuss what was introduced as “the tarmac meeting that rocked 2016.” Co-host Steve Doocy began by asking Sign a flagrantly leading question (video below):

Doocy: From the get go, this just didn’t add up, did it?
Sigh: Not at all. When I broke this story we knew something had occurred here that was a bit unusual. It was a planned meeting. It was not a coincidence. It was planned. And this details everything that they don’t want you to know and everything they think you forgot. But Bill Clinton was on that plane for 20 minutes and it wasn’t just about golf, grandkids, Brexit.

And that’s the entirety of this “explosive new information.” Sign did not reveal anything else about what took place or what was said. When asked how he knew that something was going on, he replied that “I have a source that walks me through it from point A to point b to point Z. And my source saw it all unfold.” Once again, Sign provides no details about what his alleged source told him. Only that Clinton arrived at the airport and waited briefly until he could board Lynch’s plane, where they spoke for about twenty minutes.

Shocking, isn’t it? There is no evidence of any plot or any even any potential benefit from this allegedly clandestine rendezvous. There is no indication that Sign’s source was on the plane or witnessed any of the discussions. The confirmation that the meeting lasted only twenty minutes suggests that there couldn’t have been anything of importance taking place, and certainly nothing that couldn’t have been discussed on the telephone.

So how does their scenario explain why Clinton and Lynch would have needed to meet at an airport in Arizona? Neither Sign, nor anyone at Fox News, can explain what might have been so controversial about this. And the reliance on an unidentified source should make the whole thing invalid according to Trump, who has frequently insisted that such sources don’t actually exist.

Trump himself weighed in on this pathetic excuse for a scandal at the time, tweeting…

Notice that Trump, as he is wont to do, nearly doubled the time Clinton supposedly spent on Lynch’s plane. And it’s surely no surprise that Trump thinks it would be impossible to talk about one’s grandchildren for half an hour, because he probably can’t even name his. Most grandparents can go on for hours about their grandkids. That’s how desperately wretched this attempt at concocting a scandal is. Fox News is really scraping the bottom of the barrel these days.

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

Fox News Reminds Kellyanne Conway that Trump is a Serial Sexual Predator

Posted by on February 16, 2020 at 11:05 am. 2 Comments :

There are innumerable reasons to be disgusted by Donald Trump. He is an unapologetic racist who praised neo-Nazis as “very fine people.”. He ripped babies from their parents arms and warehoused them in cages. He gushes affection for hostile foreign dictators. He maligns his critics as “enemies of America.” And he lies with every breath he takes.

Kellyanne Conway, Fox News

Those atrocities only scratch the surface of Trump’s loathsome character (or lack thereof). But high on the list of his noxious behaviors has to be his abusive treatment of women. It’s an appalling fact of the Era of Trump that a political figure can be charged with committing dozens of sexual assaults and not be punished or cast out of public life. A new book, “All the President’s Women: Donald Trump and the Making of a Predator,” documents 43 new allegations against Trump. But somehow Trump has gotten away with all of this as new scandals emerge every day to wipe the previous ones from the public’s mind.

On Sunday morning, however, there was a reminder from an unexpected source. During an interview on Fox News Sunday, Trump’s most prolific media shill, Kellyanne Conway, encountered an inconvenient question from host Chris Wallace. In an exchange that raised the issue of alleged sexual misconduct at Michael Bloomberg’s company, Wallace challenged the hypocritical double standards from the Trump camp (video below):

Wallace: Is it fair game for President Trump when he’s made sexist comments too?
Conway: Oh please. First of all, I’ve been working by his side for four years. He’s the best boss I’ve ever had.
Wallace: There are plenty of people who would say the same thing about Michael Bloomberg. Is this any worse than the “Access Hollywood” tape?
Conway: It’s far worse. Oh my goodness, it’s far worse. And by the way, that was fully litigated. That happened October seventh. He won a month later.

First of all, Conway is lying (surprise). The matter of Trump’s confession that he assaulted women was never litigated. And, as Wallace pointed out, his election doesn’t negate that it happened.

More to the point, Trump’s remarks on the “Access Hollywood” recording are not merely “sexist comments.” They are admissions from his own mouth that he committed criminal sexual assault. And he did so because he considered himself entitled to, as a celebrity. But Conway thinks that sexual harassment in the workplace is “far worse” than repeatedly physically attacking women, bragging about it, and feeling no inhibition about doing it again.

The American people must never forget that Donald Trump is a repugnant and unrepentant abuser of women. It should remain a campaign issue in 2020. If the careers of Harvey Weinstein, Roger Ailes, Matt Lauer, and so many others can be ended for this conduct, then why should Trump be exempt from any consequences. If anything, he should be be more accountable due to his prominent place in American society and culture.

Furthermore, Trump’s sycophantic mouthpieces should be equally culpable when the appear on television defending his abhorrent behavior. Conway and the rest of Trump’s apologists need to be tarred with the same brush. They are enabling Trump’s vile activities and those of all who would follow his lead. They are all equally responsible for the harm done to innocent people. And they must be made to pay, politically, socially, and legally.

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