Lou Dobbs turned Donald Trump’s disapproval rating of 55% into an approval rating of 55% at least three times on his Fox Business show yesterday and the Fan in Chief repeated Dobb’s falsehood in a tweet.
The recent Georgetown University poll Dobbs falsely quoted found that 55% of registered voters have an “unfavorable impression” of Trump, vs. 41% favorable. 52% disapprove of the job he’s doing, vs. 43% approval. Only 37% think Trump should be re-elected vs. 57% who think a new person should have a chance.
Perhaps unable to find enough of a pony, Dobbs trumpeted some genuine good news, that 58% approve of Trump’s job on the economy, and then, in a bout of apparent wishful thinking, or else deliberate deception, reported that 55% “overall approve” of Trump, along with a graphic titled, “TRUMP’S SOARING APPROVAL.”
As Media Matters noted, not only did Dobbs post a false graphic, he repeated the false statistic three times on the air.
LOU DOBBS (HOST): The president’s victories are showing up in the polls. According to a Georgetown University poll, the president's overall approval is now 55% -- let’s hear that, 55% -- and the approval rating for the president's handling of the economy, a robust 58%. Fifty-five percent is pretty robust too, don't you think?
Given Trump’s consistently low-40’s approval ratings (his highest, as per FiveThirtyEight.com, was 45.5%, four days after taking office), you’d think somebody on Dobbs’ staff might have thought to double check the statistic. In fact, the director of Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics & Public Service is Mo Elleithee, who also happens to be a Fox News contributor. But in their zeal to paint Trump as victorious, the Dobbs staff couldn’t be bothered.
Even worse, Trump who recklessly attacks the credibility of the news media – but considers Dobbs a trusted adviser – credulously tweeted this fake news as true:
Great news! #MAGA pic.twitter.com/haZ1HbVpNu
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2019
Elleithee tweeted a correction to the misinformation not long afterward. But he directed it toward Trump, not the network (colleagues) that spread the misinformation in the first place:
I’m the Director of @GUPolitics & this graphic is incorrect.
— Mo Elleithee (@MoElleithee) April 11, 2019
The Battleground Poll shows 58% approval on the economy.
But it shows only 43% overall approval, & 52% disapproval.
The 55% number is the President’s unfavorable rating. (Only 40% favorable.)https://t.co/a00b6ljiJl https://t.co/nntXuHaUKj
Later today, Fox Business issued a correction near the end of an on-air news update (see below). As for Fake News Hater In Chief? So far, nada.]
Watch Dobbs promote fake news on FBN’s April 10, 2019 Lou Dobbs Tonight, via Media Matters, and FBN’s correction today underneath.
