Rudy Giuliani reportedly first approached Fox News with his ridiculous Hunter Biden laptop story but the news division found it not credible enough. So, Giuliani went to The New York Post with the story – and then Fox Trumpers claimed it as legit journalism

Mediaite got the scoop about Giuliani approaching Fox:

Mediaite has learned that Fox News was first approached by Rudy Giuliani to report on a tranche of files alleged to have come from Hunter Biden’s unclaimed laptop left at a Delaware computer repair shop, but that the news division chose not to run the story unless or until the sourcing and veracity of the emails could be properly vetted.

With the general election just three weeks away, Giuliani ultimately brought the story to the New York Post, which shares the same owner, Rupert Murdoch. The tabloid has been exhaustively covering the contents of the laptop — which include everything from emails regarding Hunter Biden’s work for a Ukrainian company to personal photos of the recovering addict — with each morsel being amplified in the conservative media world, including on Fox News’ top-rated opinion programs. Thus far, the Fox’s News division has only been able to verify one email from the tranche leaked.

…

But according to two sources familiar with the matter, the lack of authentication of Hunter Biden’s alleged laptop, combined with established concerns about Giuliani as a reliable source and his desire for unvetted publication, led the network’s news division to pass. Fox News declined to comment on this story.

Some of Fox News’ top news anchors and reporters have distanced themselves from the story. During an on-air report that largely focused on how social media platforms handled this story, Bret Baier said, “Let’s say, just not sugarcoat it. The whole thing is sketchy.”

Yeah, but the prime time hosts are still acting like it’s a big bombshell, using publication in The Post as proof that it passed journalistic muster.

The New York Times has more on the “bombshell’s” lack of credibility:

The New York Post’s front-page article about Hunter Biden on Wednesday was written mostly by a staff reporter who refused to put his name on it, two Post employees said.

Bruce Golding, a reporter at the Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid since 2007, did not allow his byline to be used because he had concerns over the article’s credibility, the two Post employees said, speaking on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation.

Mr. Giuliani said he chose The Post because “either nobody else would take it, or if they took it, they would spend all the time they could to try to contradict it before they put it out.”

The Times also noted that Post reporter Gabrielle Fonrouge did not know her byline was on the article until after it was published. The other byline belongs to Emma-Jo Morris, a “deputy politics editor” whose last job was as an associate producer of Fox’s Hannity show.

It’s a perfect example of the right-wing echo chamber at work.

(Giuliani image via screen grab)