“Journalist” Harris Faulkner was all ears when a retired NYPD inspector baselessly claimed that if  “Hamas has American hostages, so does Iran.”

The “one lucky guy” for today’s Outnumbered show was retired NYPD inspector Paul Mauro. His Fox News bio describes him as “an attorney and retired NYPD inspector.” None of the linked posts indicate any expertise in foreign affairs, much less the Middle East or Arab/Israeli relations.

Nevertheless, he was treated as a bona fide expert, undoubtedly because he helped provide what Fox producers want their listeners to hear. In this case it was exploiting Hamas’ horrific attack on Israel to fear monger about Iran  - and blame President Biden. It was just one of many similar Fox/GOP poisonous efforts.

The pretext for this particular round was a 45-minute phone call between the president of Iran and the crown prince of Saudi Arabia.

Mauro opined on the state of Saudi politics before declaring that Saudi interests and Iran’s “don’t align.” He added, “And frankly, it looks like a little bit of a victory for Iran because this is what Iran wants.”

Faulkner jumped in to say, “So this is interesting,” thus signaling Mauro to continue fear mongering about Iran.

MAURO: And they want the idea that they're controlling that area of the world. They want that world to tilt towards the Shia world, they want to control that whole area. And by getting a 45-minute call – again, I think it's more show than go. But that said, it is a minor victory in a way for Iran because [the previous guest] is right, that's who's pulling the strings here. This reminds me of the '79 hostage crisis. If Hamas has American hostages, so does Iran.

Faulkner insists she’s a journalist and has bristled at an accusation that she’s a far-right propagandist. Spoiler alert: The shoe fit then and it fits now.

A real journalist would have challenged Mauro over his apparently fact-free claim about Iran holding U.S. hostages. Or at least asked some questions. But not Faulkner! She turned to former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway for some more “alternative facts,” i.e. lies about $6 billion in Iranian assets that were unfrozen, to be used for humanitarian purposes only, as part of an August prisoner swap between the U.S. and Iran. It has become a regular Fox/GOP piece of propaganda, despite the fact that Fox’s own chief national security correspondent, Jennifer Griffin, has completely debunked it, noting that none of the $6 billion has been spent, among other things.

CONWAY: They didn't just get a 45-minute phone call, of course. They got $6 billion recently in exchange for five American hostages. I'd like to remind everybody there was an administration not that long ago --

FAULKNER: Well, it was an even prisoner swap. That was a sweetener, that cash. Yeah, it was five for five. Didn't have to throw that in, right?

CONWAY: Exactly.

A real journalist would have known what Griffin reported and given it credence over Conway’s propaganda. But not Faulkner! Even worse, shortly before Conway spoke, the U.S. and Qatar agreed not to give Iran access to the $6 billion.

Once again, Faulkner proved she’s a propagandist, not a journalist.

You can see it all below, from the October 12, 2023 Outnumbered, via Media Matters.