One of the hosts of Fox and Friends called Donald Trump a dictator, and I could not be more tickled about it. Seriously, I’ve watched the clip like 4 times, and I laughed equally hard every time. The only big shame is that the camera wasn’t on Abby Huntsman or any of the other jackasses, including Anthony “the Mooch” Scaramucci, at the time, so I couldn’t see them look deer in headlines. That would have been television magic on par with the moon landing. Huntsman later went on to clarify that it was just a slip of the tongue in the moment on Live TV. I’d like to offer an alternative explanation: She said what she thought was true at the time and had to be corrected later. I can’t prove that, but I think we all know it’s the truth in our heart of hearts.
So, Friday’s amazing Fox and Friends rant was pretty great. Even the Friends of Fox and Friends were caught off guard by it. They all looked deeply uncomfortable by the whole thing by the end, and as it was pointed out by just about everyone, you could absolutely tell that they could not wait for it to be over. So it was to everyone’s surprise when Kellyanne Conway announced over the weekend that Trump enjoyed the experience so much, and he thought it was so beneficial, that he was going to do it once a month! And the friend, well they were just speechless! I’m assuming speechless with unbridled joy and not with frustration, fear, anxiety and a little bit of dread. Because that was kind of what it looked like when Kellyanne dropped that bomb with just her most bubbly tone.
I seriously feel bad for Hillary. Even if you weren’t a supporter of her campaign, the fact that she continues to be this punching bag for Trump and his followers to hit upon every time they need some kind of distraction is just unfortunate. I’m sure it has to sting for a seasoned politician like her to have lost to Donald Trump, but for her to constantly be beat upon after the fact is something no other candidate after the fact has had to deal with, at least not to my knowledge. Take this last week. Hillary mentioned in an appearance that every time something goes wrong, or there is nothing to talk about, Trump or Fox News will take a whack at the ol’ Hillary bag, and how in an ideal world, she’d just like that part to stop. Which is a reasonable thing to say. So what does Fox News do? Well naturally they put her on blast for being full of herself and being awful, then go on to mention her name with some mean comment a full 60+ times this week. It’s weird and underhanded, and really unfortunate.
I have to wonder how Shepard Smith still finds himself employed at Fox News. Maybe he’s their diversity hire? Because he is just 100% against the general narrative of the network. This week, he took on Trump’s erroneous/untrue claims against Amazon, especially the claim that they in some way negatively impact the USPS. It’s become kind of his role on the network to buzzkill the editorials by…you know…giving out the facts. And he kind of famously rankles the feathers of the other personalities on Fox News because he calls them out without actually calling them out. It’s a sort of passive aggressive “Screw You” to the rest of the network, which gives him value. Maybe that’s why Fox keeps him around? To draw in those more left of center viewers who would otherwise avoid Fox News like the plague.
So, Fox News didn’t mention Stormy Daniels at any point during the day on Monday. The day after a quite devastating interview that puts a pretty negative light on their Meal Ticket, and they don’t even mention it. They spend some time bashing Hillary, but they don’t dignify the affair of their Savior or the prospect that he might have had her threatened to keep her from telling people about it with any kind of response. Now, they might argue that an alleged affair that Trump denies is personal business, and not “real news”, but the fact that he has taken steps to keep it quiet, while possibly authorizing someone to threaten her definitely is. I suppose there’s a reason Fox News doesn’t label themselves as “Fair and Balanced” anymore.
Here is the thing about the Conservative stance on gun control: Their argument is only reasonable if they are arguing against what gun control advocates actually want. People like Tucker Carlson are demonizing kids because they insist that those masterminding the gun control movement want guns banned for everyone. That’s what poor old Tucker means when he says that advocate for, and I quote “punishing everyone.” But let me assure you, Tucker Carlson and everyone telling you gun control advocates are trying to take away your security are employing an age old fallacy called the Strawman Fallacy. You see, Gun Control by definition does not mean “Gun ban” or “Gun Confiscation”. 99.9% of people who advocate gun control, just want firearms to be harder to obtain for people who would misuse them. For the average American, who practices responsible gun ownership, realistically, if gun control advocates got what they wanted, that person’s life would not be affected. Reasonable legislation and restriction should not be a conversation that is so hard to have. But it will continue to be difficult if Tucker Carlson and his Fox News Pundit friends and basically anyone the NRA donates to, continues to successfully sell a fake argument and labeling kids afraid for their lives as “extremists”.
So Trump is…I don’t know if I’d call it a 180 on gun control provisions…but he’s definitely sounding…dare I say…somewhat reasonable? It’s weird to see him step so far away from his base’s views on anything. I mean, the VAST majority of Americans overwhelmingly favor some new measure of gun control. That is indisputable, but the very vocal minority, the people who comprise the loudest segment of Trump’s base, do not. So for Trump to come out and say he’s down for confiscating guns from mentally ill people, and for raising the age of purchase on certain firearms…I mean it’s a weird pivot that I’m not sure anyone saw coming. It’s a welcome one. But it also is so out of character for him that I would feel weird trusting it. I don’t know whether to expect him to go back on it tomorrow and say he never said any such thing in the first place.
So, reports are coming out that Fox News was given a heads up about Trump’s tryst with a porn star as early as October of 2016. Fox News could have broken a story a story that could have turned the tide of the election, but let party politics get in the way. Say what you will about CNN or MSNBC, but given the chance to break a damaging story about Hillary Clinton, they’d have done it. And yet they have the gall to constantly criticize other news outlets of a dangerously liberal bias.
One of my favorite news stories of the last few weeks was hearing that just prior to Fox/Disney merger, Trump called Rupert Murdoch to ask if Fox News was part of the deal. I just love the idea that Trump would make a panicked phone call, afraid that the only news outlet that likes him would stop sucking up to him.
I don’t know if that they’re that morally bankrupt, but it would be kind of funny of they were…
Mind the Exit 