The three Fox & Friends hosts and their executive producer want you to believe they never think about the Fan In Chief when putting on their show.
In an Associated Press article, cohost Ainsley Earhardt is quoted as saying, “I guess in the back of my mind I occasionally think he could be watching.” And “But it doesn’t affect anything that I say, my opinions or how I report the news.” Earhardt has previously insisted she asks Trump “hard-hitting questions.”
If you haven’t already spit out your coffee, you might want to make sure to swallow before reading the next bits of denial from the article:
Gavin Hadden, “Fox & Friends” executive producer who worked his way up the ranks in a dozen years with the show, said he was unaware of instances when it seemed clear a guest was trying to communicate with the president. He’s concerned it could affect the quality of the show if the president’s interest became a preoccupation.
[…]
Ask the hosts why the [Stormy Daniels] story got relatively little play, and they offer different theories. [Cohost Steve] Doocy said the show likes to zig when others zag, Earhardt said Fox recognized it might be an uncomfortable subject for families tuning in, while [cohost Brian] Kilmeade suggested Daniels made little news.
An attorney for a Navy sailor pardoned by Trump credited an appearance on Fox & Friends for the happy outcome. In fact, it was part of the legal strategy. The lawyer also noted that he had previously sent “tons” of written material to the White House in a fruitless effort to get Trump’s attention that way.
The AP article was not labeled “satire.” But maybe it should have been.
The Fox & Friends crew can play dumb about the propaganda going on all they like. But that means the rest of us need to be just that much more aware of it.
(Fox & Friends image via screen grab)