While Fox is full of suggestions that the so-called “deep state” spied on the Trump campaign, the network quietly admitted – probably hoping nobody would notice – that “there’s no evidence” such a thing ever happened.
Yesterday, on The Daily Briefing show, host Dana Perino interviewed former Justice Department prosecutor James Trusty to discuss Trump’s and Trump TV’s latest efforts to discredit the Mueller investigation: throwing a hissy fit over the news that during the 2016 campaign, the F.B.I. sent an informant to talk to two Trump campaign advisers after agents received evidence that the pair had suspicious contacts linked to Russia.
Rather than show a moment of concern about the true nature of those suspicious contacts, Trump and Fox are accusing the Obama Department of Justice of “spying” on him.
However, Trusty offered relatively sensible, albeit Trump-friendly commentary about the informant situation and Trump’s demand that the DOJ bend to his will and investigate.
Perino, a former press secretary under George W. Bush not only remains close to the Bush family (who are no fans of Trump) but she is also one of the few Fox hosts who puts respect for facts over loyalty to Trump. So it was not a huge surprise that she would host someone who did not rant and rave about spying but called it “pretty logical” to have an inspector general investigate.
As Trusty spoke, a lower-third banner read, “TRUMP TO MEET WITH ROSENSTEIN AND WRAY AT THE WHITE HOUSE AT 3 PM ET.” That’s Rod Rosenstein, deputy attorney general and in charge of the Russia investigation, and Christopher Wray, FBI director.
But as Trusty went on to explain the use of informants, a series of “FOX FACTS” replaced the lower-third announcement about the upcoming meeting. The first one read:
THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT AN INTELLIGENCE SOURCE WAS EMBEDDED IN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN
That was followed by:
TRUMP TWEETED ABOUT THE RUSSIA PROBE EIGHT TIMES YESTERDAY
YESTERDAY: TRUMP DEMANDED A PROBE INTO WHETHER THE FBI OR DOJ INFILTRATED CAMPAIGN FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES
DOJ WILL LOOK INTO WHETHER THERE WAS POLITICAL MOTIVATION INVOLVED IN RUSSIA PROBE
GIULIANI: QUESTIONS ABOUT INFORMANT NEED TO BE CLEARED UP BEFORE POSSIBLE INTERVIEW WITH MUELLER
Then it was back to the banner about Trump’s upcoming meeting with Rosenstein and Wray.
But, just as Fox opinion hosts ignored colleague Shepard Smith’s debunking of the Uranium One “scandal,” the prime timers pretty much ran over their own top “Fox Fact,” too.
Watch Fox silently acknowledge it knows the truth behind its own pundits’ overheated rhetoric below, from the May 21, 2018 The Daily Briefing.
I believe this is more representative of a split at Fox, than a withdrawal from Trump. It may turn out to be the beginnings of such if Trump implodes soon but I don’t think that is part of some plan at the moment.
He’s live on TV right now pissing all over the Oval Office decrying “spies” getting paid ‘unbelievable sums of money’ to spy on his campaign. So what? How would the corrupt scumbag prefer the FBI investigate him? A paid informant quietly investigating his campaign so nobody is aware or the FBI kicking down his door?
I’m not surprised Dana Perino, a Bushie as Ellen points out, isn’t joining her Fox brethren in pimping the Trump “spies” line. What surprises me is TrumpTV hasn’t chased her off the network. GOPTV™ had a civil war over Trump v the traditional GOP and Trump largely won.
At one point I got the impression from the news both Rosenstein and Mueller were willing to stand up to Trump. However, it appears now both are showing cracks and preparing to cave. If we can’t find good men to stand up to a corrupt tyrant like Trump he’ll keep bullying his way to complete tyranny.
