Fox News and Fox Business host Neil Cavuto clapped back at Donald Trump’s attack on Fox News for “not working for us anymore.” And although one can understand why Trump thought Fox did work for him, Cavuto hit back with a scorching rundown of Trump lies.
Cavuto’s commentary yesterday followed one on Wednesday that ripped Trump’s trade tariffs and his handling of the trade war with China:
CAVUTO: The president ignoring that cost is wrong. Because here's the thing about going to war. You better go in with eyes wide open. Obviously, rally the nation around winning that war, but do let them know there will be costs to that war, there always are, and that contrary to what the president has said, it will not be an easy war, and it won’t be a wonderful war, because tariffs are not a wonderful thing. Tariffs are taxes on goods that you pay. Governments don't pay them, you do.
But that was nothing compared to yesterday’s commentary.
Cavuto was responding to Trump’s Wednesday morning Twitter Tantrum, apparently sparked by a non-adversarial interview with the DNC director of communications, and ending with Trump whining, “We have to start looking for a new News Outlet. Fox isn’t working for us anymore!”
That’s rubbish, of course. The day before Fox & Friends acted as such eager salespeople for Trump’s golf resort, you’d think they were earning a commission for every booking. A few hours after Trump’s tantrum, his campaign’s press secretary credited Sean Hannity as an important aid to Trump’s re-election.
But since Fox doesn’t spend every minute of airtime shilling for Trump, he is trying to bully the network into non-stop adoration.
Cavuto let Trump know in no uncertain terms that will not happen anytime soon. Cavuto looked into the camera and addressed Trump directly: “Well, first of all, Mr. President, we don’t work for you. I don’t work for you.”
Cavuto tried to soften the blow by acknowledging that Trump is “only human” and that nobody “likes to be corrected.” But, Cavuto added, “You are the president. It comes with the job, just like checking what you say and do comes with my job.”
Then Cavuto laid out all the justifications for criticizing Trump.
CAVUTO: After all, I’m not the one who said tariffs are a wonderful thing, you are. Just like I’m not the one who said Mexico would pay for the wall - you did. Just like I’m not the one who claimed that Russia didn’t meddle in the 2016 election – you did.
Now, I’m sorry you don’t like these facts being brought up but they are not fake because I did. What would be fake is if I never did, if I ignored all the times you said you loved your old secretary of state, Rex Tillerson – until you didn’t. Had no plans to dump your Homeland Security secretary until you did. Called Chinese President Xi Jinping an enemy just last week and a great leader this week.
Sometimes, you don’t even wait that long. Last week, you expressed an appetite for background checks before arguing just hours later our background checks are already strong. These aren’t fake items. They’re real items and you really said them. Just like you never paid to silence a porn star until it turns out you did. Never ordered your former White House counsel, Don McGahn, to fire Bob Mueller until we learned you tried.
Fake is when it’s wrong, Mr. President, not when it’s unpleasant. Just like it isn’t and wasn’t fake when you said the Access Hollywood tape wasn’t real when it was or that you inherited a depression from Barack Obama when you didn’t or that you ripped quantitative easing when he was president but are furious the Federal Reserve isn’t doing the same for you now that you’re president.
You’re entitled to your point of view, Mr. President, but you’re not entitled to your own set of facts.
Several other Fox News personalities also pushed back on Trump's attack but none were as pointed or as on target as Cavuto's.
Watch Cavuto fact check Trump below, from the August 29, 2019 Your World. Underneath is his critique of Trump’s tariffs, from the August 28, 2019 Your World.
I can certainly sympathize with Neil’s health issues. We’re both cancer survivors. We’ve both later faced long odds and contracted severe illnesses. Neil says doctors told him the odds of later also suffering MS were 1 in 2 million. My odds of getting a rare disease were 1 in 1 million – probably far worse combined with the odds of contracting cancer too. We’ve both had near death experiences. Coincidentally we’re the same age.
We also share an interest in business so I watched a lot of him previous to the Trump era.
The now defunct Fox News Saturday ‘business block’ was a habit for many years back when it was 4 half hour shows (replaced by the less ‘entertaining’ Cavuto Live). He ran one of the half hour shows which was formatted like all the rest: a bunch or right-wing talking heads (I think 4) and one weak chuckle-head of a liberal they used as a punching bag. The vast majority of ‘business block’ discussions had nothing to do with business issues but were just another excuse to pimp Fox News pro-Republican talking points.
If you recall, one of the ‘business block’ shows was eventually outed for routinely feeding the liberal guest’s answers (gathered by the show’s producers prior to broadcast) to a designated conservative ‘hitman’ whose task was slam him at the end of the show. I don’t think it was Neil’s show but they were all equally bad, IMHO.
That’s a long-winded way of saying maybe my perception of Neil is tainted by his past sins.
Also I give Cavuto a lot of props given his challenges with his health.
Anyway, I’m not naive but in the era of Trump, I appreciate any Republican or Fox Newser who takes a stand for truth and decency. Cavuto has repeatedly blasted Trump on that score.
http://www.newshounds.us/fox_s_cavuto_blasts_trump_s_putin_summit_071718
http://www.newshounds.us/cavuto_blasts_trump_claim_impeaching_him_make_market_crash_082418
http://www.newshounds.us/cavuto_rips_trump_stormy_daniels_stop_smell_stink_you_re_creating_050318
But no, I haven’t forgotten these: http://www.newshounds.us/fox_cavuto_cuts_off_tim_ryan_daring_say_trump_incites_violence_080519 http://www.newshounds.us/fox_s_cavuto_promotes_colleague_scott_brown_for_trump_s_vp_pick_021016
Sure, he’s never been a rabid personality like Carlson, Ingraham, Hannity or Pirro. Nor has he been vomit inducing ass-kisser like Doocy, Faulkner or Kilmeade. He’s more like an establishment conservative like Bret Baier but never ever mistake him for a fair minded moderate like Shep Smith.
What I don’t think is that this signals any kind of change for Fox.