{"id":35593,"date":"2017-09-04T16:27:27","date_gmt":"2017-09-04T23:27:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?p=35593"},"modified":"2017-09-04T16:29:24","modified_gmt":"2017-09-04T23:29:24","slug":"trumps-favorite-fox-news-show-and-top-advisor-implores-him-to-shut-the-government-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?p=35593","title":{"rendered":"Trump’s Favorite Fox News Show, and Top Advisor, Implores Him to ‘Shut the Government Down’"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New York Times recently spoke<\/a><\/strong> with several Trump administration insiders who expressed some concern about their boss. They characterized him as stubbornly devoted to Fox News which they described as his “primary source of information.”<\/em> That observation was not a surprise to most Trump watchers, but it was a rare admission from those in his inner circle.<\/p>\n

\"Fox
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Without a doubt, Donald Trump’s favorite TV show<\/a><\/strong> is Fox and Friends. He religiously views the morning program with the three “Curvy Couch”<\/em> potatoes staunchly defending the his every utterance and action. He has re-tweeted them at least 120 times since his campaign began. And there are numerous examples<\/a><\/strong> of him making comments about something that had aired on the program minutes before.<\/p>\n

Consequently, whenever someone on Fox News issues opinions or offers political guidance, it must be closely examined. After all, the President regards it as at least as credible any other Oval Office counsel he might receive. Trump often gives more consideration to advice he gets from Fox News than what he gets from his intelligence professionals. So what Fox and Friends co-host Pete Hegseth said Monday morning should be noted. He appeared on Fox’s Outnumbered to discuss Trump’s options for fulfilling his campaign promise to build a wall on the border with Mexico:<\/p>\n

“You gotta build the wall. This is so central to why he ran, who he is, why his supporters love him, and to his candidacy from day one.” […] “But shut the government down. Shut it down if you can’t get the central campaign promise done. I think from the view of the people that got him elected, they expect it to happen. And how long will the establishment Republicans – and Democrats would obstruct no matter what – obstruct everything he wants to do?”<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

First of all, the people that got Trump elected were most likely based in Moscow. But even a more generous analysis requires acknowledging that his electors were a minority of the voters. What’s more, even among Republicans, the border wall is not popular<\/a><\/strong>. It was merely the hypnotic chant of the fevered disciples at his campaign rallies. But they are in no way representative of the broader GOP. They may share much of the same right-wing agenda, but the StormTrumpers are certifiably nuts.<\/p>\n

More to the point, Hegseth’s fatally flawed punditry asserts that the wall must be built because Trump promised to build it. Not because it would effectively reduce illegal immigration or drug trafficking or crime. It wouldn’t. But because Hegseth believes that fulfilling his campaign promises is more important than doing what the voters want. And if shutting down the government is necessary to secure funding for the wall, down it goes. Along with millions of Social Security checks, national parks access, hurricane relief, and many other vital government services.<\/p>\n

Tens of thousands of Americans would be thrown out of work. That would result in additional government expenses and loss of federal income tax revenue. The last time the government was shutdown it cost the federal government $24 billion<\/a><\/strong>. And the same polls that show the unpopularity of the wall also show that Americans oppose a shutdown.<\/p>\n

So Hegseth’s rant about shutting down the government is both expensive and unpopular. But he thinks it should be done anyway. And for reasons that are based on politics rather than what’s in the best interests of the people. He was kind enough to mention the victims of Hurricane Harvey. But only as an aside that reduced the tragedy to “the complications with what happened in Houston.”<\/em><\/p>\n

As ludicrous as his unqualified opinions are, they are still held in high regard by one very special member of the TV audience. Donald Trump was surely watching, and he very likely considers what he heard as justification for shutting down the government. That puts the whole country at the mercy of the twerps on Fox and Friends. And if that doesn’t frighten you, I can’t imagine what will.<\/p>\n

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How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
\nFox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.<\/a>
\nAvailable now at Amazon.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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'Shut The Government Down': @PeteHegseth<\/a> Says @POTUS<\/a> Must Stand Firm on Wall Promise https:\/\/t.co\/hMeOj36MBx<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Y5mHMuWvMV<\/a><\/p>\n

— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 4, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n