If you solely watched Fox News over the weekend, you didn’t hear about President Donald Trump’s widely condemned reaction to Robert Mueller’s death.
“Robert Mueller just died,” Trump posted to Truth Social shortly after the information of the previous FBI director’s demise turned public on Saturday afternoon. “Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!”
Since then, Fox News has mentioned Mueller’s demise not less than six instances on air with out ever quoting Trump’s celebration or all of the outrage the submit provoked, in keeping with TV transcript database searches.
Most of Fox’s mentions of Mueller’s demise had been quick information updates, not full-fledged discussions. But that, too, was a curious alternative for a community whose greatest stars spent years villainizing Mueller for main the Russia probe throughout Trump’s first time period.
One of the one prolonged conversations about Mueller was on Trey Gowdy’s Sunday night present, wherein he and Rep. Jim Jordan mentioned “the political origins of the Russia collusion hoax.” Trump’s response didn’t come up.
Fox’s omission was a window into how the pro-Trump community selectively amplifies or sidesteps his rhetoric relying on the second.
When its alternative about Mueller gained consideration on social media, Trump critics surmised that Fox’s producers had been implicitly admitting the president’s comment was appalling by selecting to disregard it altogether.
Fox was definitely conscious of the controversy, since its web site featured a narrative about Mueller’s demise that quoted Trump on the very prime.
But on TV, “I’m glad he’s dead” was not deemed newsworthy in any respect.
Instead of quoting the present president, who didn’t specific any condolences, Sunday morning’s “Fox & Friends” quoted former president George W. Bush, who nominated Mueller to be FBI director, praising Mueller’s service to the nation.
A Fox News spokesperson didn’t reply to a request for comment Sunday evening concerning the protection selections.
On different networks, Trump’s resolution to have a good time Mueller’s demise sparked panel discussions and vocal criticism.
Trump’s feedback “should be shocking for anyone to say, let alone a president. But it’s not… Trump’s refusal to show any grace to perceived foes, even after death, is a feature, not a bug. Not a surprise, but that doesn’t make it okay,” NCS anchor Dana Bash said on Sunday’s “State of the Union.”
One of Fox’s longest-serving analysts, former anchorman Brit Hume, was amongst those that selected to talk out about it — in a submit on X.
“This is the kind of stuff Trump does that makes people not just oppose him but hate him,” Hume wrote. “There was no need to say anything.”
This was removed from the primary time Fox News has turned a blind eye to notably difficult-to-defend conduct by Trump.
Last December, when one other considered one of Trump’s political foes, Rob Reiner, was brutally murdered, Trump made disparaging remarks concerning the star director, calling him “deranged” and nearly celebrating his demise. Fox hosts went out of their method to keep away from straight mentioning Trump’s feedback.
And months earlier than that, the community all however ignored a scoop by the Wall Street Journal, its company sibling, a few scandalous birthday be aware to Jeffrey Epstein bearing Trump’s identify.
“Fox News turns blind eye to latest Epstein bombshell — even when talking to man in charge of investigation,” learn a headline on the time from The Independent’s Justin Baragona.
Fox host Sean Hannity just lately pointed to Trump insulting Reiner when he was requested on “The Katie Miller Podcast” about instances when he has disagreed with the president.
When Hannity said he generally thinks, “Did you have to say that? Did you really have to go there?” When Miller requested which second stood out most, Hannity said, “Maybe after Rob Reiner, you know, John McCain wasn’t too good either.”