Host Harris Faulkner attacked Democrat Jonathan Kott for stating the truth; conservative guest Tammy Bruce falsely accused him of calling Republicans Nazis.
On today’s Faulkner Focus, what began as another in Fox’s series of attacks on Biden’s age turned into a propaganda circus.
Justin Baragona explains:
During a standard Fox News panel segment on President Joe Biden falling behind Trump in 2024 presidential polling, Faulkner brought up Saturday Night Live’s latest cold open, which mocked Biden and his Democratic allies for claiming he is extremely sharp amid rising concerns about his advanced age.
Faulkner, who laughed throughout the clip, and Bruce giddily suggested the clip proves Biden is losing support. “Comedy is a remarkably important political statement, and when you have lost Saturday Night Live, when they are ridiculing you, the audience in New York is laughing hysterically, that is another sign that things perhaps might be lost,” the conservative pundit noted.
Kudos to Democratic strategist Jonathan Kott for going on offense as any Democrat on Fox should always do. Kott, former senior advisor to Sen. Joe Manchin and Sen. Chris Coons, began by saying that his former bosses have said both publicly and privately that Biden “takes meetings long into the night,” is “on top of everything,” is “very detail-oriented” and has “never had a note card in any one of those meetings."
Then Kott turned the tables on the Fox framing. Without skipping a beat, he added, “I will say this, I would rather have a president who maybe has a stutter once in a while than one who spews conspiracy theory, racist nonsense, and has dinner with Nazis. So, if given the choice between one or the other, I’m happy that Joe Biden might misspeak once in a while when he’s trying to name a president of a foreign country.”
Once again, Faulkner’s claim to be a journalist was proved to be a big, fat lie.
First, Faulkner deflected by scolding Kott for suggesting that conservatives had picked on Biden for his speech impediment. Surely she knew that was not what Kott meant.
Before Faulkner finished, Tammy Bruce interrupted to deflect with her own falsehood: “Well, we just heard him call a number of Republicans Nazis and racists. So, I think we can put him in the category of willing to go there.” As if she or any other Fox contributor would ever refrain from “going there” were the shoe on the other foot. It’s worth pointing out that Bruce also claims to be a journalist.
Kott truthfully replied he hadn’t called Republicans Nazis but that Trump had had dinner with a Nazi. (FACT CHECK: Trump had dinner with Nick Fuentes who denies being a neo-Nazi but quacks just like one.) As Kott tried to explain his statement, Bruce continued berating him.
Kott responded that he hadn’t called Republicans Nazis but rather correctly stated that Trump “had dinner with a Nazi.” Good for him for refusing to allow Bruce’s falsehood to stand but in a bad sign for Bruce’s truthfulness, she refused to let him talk.
“That is a tactic that is not going to work,” Bruce said condescendingly. “The American people don’t like it and they are taking it personally.”
“He had dinner with a Nazi,” Kott began. “Tammy, Tammy, exactly what I said.”
But now Faulkner cut him off with her own scold. “We’re gonna have to let you go, Joe,” she began (Kott’s first name is “Jonathan.”). “I had even said I had never heard you talk like that and look, five seconds later, I was wrong.”
“Desperation,” Bruce added.
You might notice that neither of these sorry excuses for journalists denied that Trump had had dinner with a Nazi.
You can see Faulkner and Bruce unable to handle the truth below, from the March 4, 2024 The Faulkner Focus.
(H/T Richard W.)
Fox guest Jonathan Kott: I'd rather have Biden than someone who spews racist nonsense and has dinner with Nazis.
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) March 4, 2024
Fox News's Tammy Bruce: You just called Republicans Nazis!
Kott: I did not. He had dinner with a Nazi!
Harris Faulkner then scolds Kott before going to break. pic.twitter.com/5rUQP8sPZy