Fox News: Trump Won but the Rage Lingers
A condensed overview of 26 hours of Fox News for the week ending 11/10/14
Due to the stress and added work of covering the election I will be taking a short break this week. Next week’s newsletter will focus on some of Trump’s proposed cabinet picks.
According to the folks at Fox News Donald J. Trump’s win is proof that legacy media and identity politics are dead while Americans are disgusted by transgender athletes and woke ideologies promoted by the far left. Greg Gutfeld called for the execution of doctors who perform gender affirming care, Ainsley Earhardt found divine intervention in Trump’s victory and Jesse Watters laughed about mass deportations.
Although some folks did express joy over the prospect of another Trump presidency an undercurrent of rage and resentment still permeated the network.
Fox News hosts and guests continued to tear into Vice President Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden, DEI policies, competing media companies and the Democratic Party. Segments about negative reactions to Trump’s win took up 17% of the airtime on the shows I covered.
Journalists and pundits were chastised for not immediately accepting and rejoicing in Trump’s victory while Biden was criticized for cordially accepting a meeting with his former rival. Democrats and critics of the president-elect could do absolutely nothing right.
Anyone watching Fox News exclusively last week would have missed out on stories about the climate crisis in Japan, Pakistan, Spain and Cuba along with a murder conviction of a white former police officer of an unarmed Black man.
Shows I covered last week:
Fox & Friends - All three hours the day after the election
The Five
Jesse Watters Primetime
Election Night Coverage
Legacy Media, The Mandate and Identity Politics
While Fox News hosts rejoiced in Trump’s win, they also declared the death of legacy media and identity politics. According to exit poll data Donald J. Trump gained support in multiple demographics including Hispanic/Latino men and Black men.
That was enough for the likes of Fox News hosts. From their perspective racism was over and absolutely no one should ever be concerned about it again.
The morning after the election on Fox & Friends several Fox News personalities seemed to follow a script of sorts.
“This whole concept of identity politics. That and both sides do it. But Democrats are far worse about it,” said Charlie Hurt.
“And the whole idea of identity politics, I think it's really the story of this election. It's collapsing,” said Rachel Campos-Duffy.
Greg Gutfeld switched out the term identity politics for DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).
“So you live by DEI. You die by DEI,” said Gutfeld
That night on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Jesse Watters included both.
“He defeated identity politics. DEI is dead,” said Watters.
On Friday on “The Five,” Katie Pavlich used the exact same talking points.
“The identity politics, the divisive identity politics that Democrats have relied on for years and years and years are starting to come to an end,” said Pavlich.
Legacy Media is Dead
The morning after the election on “Fox & Friends,” Ainsley Earhardt declared that legacy media was dead.
“And I was talking to some others that are in our profession and they said, this is the end of the legacy media. You watch all of these legacy channels, all these old school journal journalists, they tell you how to vote. They lied about Donald Trump. They lied about all the conspiracies and all the conspiracy theories,” said Earhardt.
I’m not sure what network Earhardt thinks she works for but Fox doesn’t exactly have the best reputation. Her employer famously paid a $787.5 million settlement to Dominion Voting Systems for knowingly promoting false stories about the 2020 election. Fox very much tells its viewers how to vote.
The network also paid an undisclosed settlement to the family of Seth Rich, a Democratic Party aide after it spread and promoted false conspiracy theories about his murder.
Jesse Watters promoted unsubstantiated claims about the violent attack on Paul Pelosi, a bag of cocaine found in the White House and he even said that the world famous pop star Taylor Swift might be a Pentagon “psyop,” an asset used for psychological operations.
I’m also not sure how Fox News is not also considered legacy media. Fox News is not nearly as old as the other television broadcast networks but it’s not exactly new media that dominates social media platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Substack, and podcast platforms.
On Friday Harold Ford Jr., the moderate voice on “The Five,” said that Joe Rogan was more important than legacy media.
“Joe Rogan is more powerful in many ways in reaching voters than legacy media. I agree with the premise that legacy media has to rethink how and what they do in their importance,” said Harold Ford Jr.
Later that night Jesse Watters included the same talking point in the intro to “Jesse Watters Primetime.”
“The liberal media has just been pronounced dead,” said Watters.
Trump’s Mandate
On Monday the night before the election Jesse Watters was already claiming Trump would have a mandate.
“If he gets in this White House with a mandate to heal the country, fix the economy, and close the border,” said Watters.
A diner guest in North Carolina also brought up Trump’s supposed mandate the day after the election on a ‘Breakfast with Friends’ segment on “Fox & Friends.”
“All Americans have to realize at this point that this election was a clear mandate for change, and that all the people need to accept that that's a mandate for change. The people have spoken and that's what they want, for sure,” said the unnamed man.
Later in the program Pete Hegseth also brought up Trump’s mandate to Brian Kilmeade.
“This is a mandate, Brian. This is a mandate based on love of country, not love of self-identity. . . .This is historic. This is game changing. Trump's got a mandate,” said Hegseth.
That night Jesse Watters repeated the same talking points.
“Make no mistake, Donald Trump has a massive mandate . . . The mandate now. I mean, this was not a small victory,"said Watters.
His guest former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard also seemed to follow the same script.
“The American people's voices were heard. There's a mandate,” said Gabbard.
MAGA is a Cult
On the day after the election “Fox & Friends,” included segments in diners in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. A woman in Tyrone, Pennsylvania said why she voted for Donald J. Trump.
“I read the Bible and my convictions. I am so thankful for local pastors that were willing to stand up and really explain that there is no separation of church and state, and that as believers, we have an obligation to vote for our children and grandchildren moving forward,” said the woman.
“So, they're saying the reason they chose Trump God. Well, I think God spared his life for a purpose,” said Ainsley Earhardt.
Later while discussing the election with Charlie Hurt the “Fox & Friends” host brought it up again.
“And God spared his life for a reason,” said Earhardt.
“Who doesn't believe in miracles, right? God is not done with America,” said Hurt.
“What the man that's been up against and survived is incredible,” said Earhardt.
Another woman with a Trump hat in the same diner in Tyrone, Pennsylvania also saw divine intervention in Trump’s win.
“And it's a great day to Trump won. And God is in control,” said the woman.
An elderly white man at a diner in Maggie Valley, North Carolina also brought the assassination attempt against Trump.
“We thank God for saving his life,” said the man.
“Such good people. Carley young say God fearing people,” said Earhardt at the end of a ‘Breakfast with Friends’ segment.
The Trump Alternate Reality
The day after the election Jesse Watters twisted reality when he claimed Americans voted for Trump because he listened to them.
“The answer is simple. They lied to you. But Trump listened to you. They told you the border was secure, the economy was humming, and Joe Biden was an Olympic athlete. Even though he couldn't stop falling down and forgetting his own name. If you had a problem with that, they censored you. And when they started losing, they called you fascist garbage who just needed a smack in the ass. The last four years we witnessed the Democrats go crazy. They loaded illegals into airplanes and flew them here. They emptied jails, made up genders, handed out free sex changes, and printed money like Zimbabwe. We all watched it happen. We didn't like it. Trump, listen, said, I hear you, I get it, I'll fix it.
It's not that complicated. We kept the faith in the face of last minute hoaxes. Remember, Kamala was going to win Iowa. A comedian made a joke about Puerto Rico. Oh my God, it's over. Trump's tariffs are going to wreck the economy. Really? Because the market today had its best day in two years. Trump did better with Puerto Ricans and beat her by 13 in Iowa.
The American people don't like being lied to. Trump even did better with women than Kamala did with men. Imagine that wives didn't have to lie to their husbands. The so called racist dictator shattered records with blacks, Hispanics, Jews and college students. His margin in Springfield, Ohio, where they're definitely not eating the pets, went up. Trump, Mr. Muslim ban one Muslims in Dearborn, Michigan. The guy who they said hated Hispanics won Miami-Dade County. That's the first time a Republican pulled that off since Reagan,” said Watters.
Everyone is Going to Love Mass Deportations
Friday on “The Five,” Jesse Watters said mass deportations would be hysterical.
“You're going to have cameras out there making sure that they capture the images of ICE coming along and taking these people away, and they deserve to be taken away. Sometimes you have to do tough stuff, but AOC is going to be there tying herself to migrants. It's going to be hysterical. But sometimes dad has to do the tough things. Doesn't make it always look great, but it's the right thing to do, and that's what we expect,” said Watters.
The PBS News Hour Spoke to Rep. María Salazar About the Prospect of Mass Deportations.
The day after the elections PBS News Hour co-anchor Amna Nawaz spoke with Rep. María Salazar (R-FL) about how Trump’s plan to deport millions of undocumented immigrants might affect her district.
“Congresswoman, we should also note that he has proposed mass deportations of undocumented people starting on day one of his presidency. There's an estimated 198,000 undocumented people in Miami Dade County in your district. What would the sudden arrest and deportation of nearly 200,000 people mean for your community?” asked Nawaz.
“And I and I love what you're asking me. You know, I wrote the Dignity Act, which is one of the only the only comprehensive or complete immigration reform law. So I understand exactly what you're telling me about immigration. But the problem, and I need to put this into context. When you have a Biden administration that opens the southern border for four years and allows 10 million people to come in and out of those 10 million two are gotaways. And out of those 10 million, you have this group called ‘Tren de Aragua’ from Venezuela, which is a transnational criminal organization,” said Salazar.
“Congresswoman, if I may, I know our time here is limited. I'm asking about the potential deportation of hundreds of thousands in your community,” asked Nawaz.
“That deportation is going to be among those criminals who are the gang members. The cutaways, Tren de Aragua I am sure,” said Salazar.
“Not all 200,000 undocumented in your community. Is that what you’re saying?” asked Nawaz.
“That I am sure that we're not, that the Trump administration is not going to be targeting those people who have been here for more than five years that have American kids that don't have criminal records, that have been working in the economy and paying taxes. I am sure that they're going to hone in on the criminals who arrived less than four years ago. Because I rode the Dignity Act, and I am the first one who understands that you have to give some type of dignity to those who have been here for more than five years, people who have roots in the country, not people who are coming to commit crimes,” said Salazar.
“If I can just clarify from you, have you received those kinds of of details from anyone in a potential Trump administration? Because so far what we've heard is proposal for mass deportations. You have about 30s left. Have you gotten those assurances?” asked Nawaz.
“Mass deportation to those who are committing crimes, who have been here for less than five years. You understand that you have families, millions of undocumented, who are contributing with the economy and are helping our country to be a better one,” said Salazar
Trump has not clarified that he would only target undocumented immigrants who have lived in the U.S. less than five years.
The bill that Rep. Salazar referenced, H.R.3599 - DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act of 2023, was introduced in the 118th Congress in May 2023. The bill was referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement but did not progress further in the process to become a law.
Drag Queens and the Non-Threat of Transgender Athletes
The day after the election on “The Five,” Judge Jeanine demonized drag queens and transgender Americans.
“And, you know, Americans didn't feel at home in America. They were told that we have to have drag queen story Hour for your children in school. And they were told that, you know, if your kids want to transition, you know, we don't really have to tell you about that,” said Judge Jeanine.
Her co-host, Greg Gutfeld, called for the execution of doctors who perform gender-affirming care surgeries.
“You could listen to us. We're talking about this. I was I was talking about the trans issue for the last I don't know how many years, five years I was called transphobic. I was called bigoted. But every day I talked about it because I felt it was, and I'll tell you why. It was the most important issue in a minute. But Scarborough not only talked about it as a political issue, he was mad that they were doing it because it didn't play well in politics. He didn't talk about the parents or the families destroyed, or the doctors that should be executed for butchering children in order to make a buck. We talked about on this show . . . this is the biggest moral story, probably since abortion, because it shows you how a toxic ideology can grow exponentially if it's left unchallenged. Suddenly we were volunteer butchering children again, a crime that would end in the death of a doctor, you know, that we were talking about. It was a choice among children who cannot even make these decisions. Think about Elon Musk. You know, he has an estranged transgendered child. He knows what wokeism is done. It took one of his kids from him and that radicalized Musk,” said Gutfeld.
Gutfeld might not realize it but abortions didn’t start after Roe v. Wade was passed in 1973. The first written references to the practice of abortion were found on ancient Egyptian papyrus written about 3,500 years ago.
Abortions were also commonly practiced before the procedure was legalized in the U.S.
Abortion providers have also faced violence. According to reporting by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Since 1977, when the National Abortion Federation (NAF) first began gathering statistics on anti-abortion violence, anti-abortion activists have committed 11 murders, 42 bombings, 200 acts of arson and 531 assaults, all of which were directed at patients and those working in abortion care.
I cannot read Gutfeld’s mind or know his exact intentions but comparing abortion with gender affirming care while calling for violence against healthcare providers is extremely reckless and dangerous.
Judge Jeanine Destroys her Whole Argument
On Thursday Judge Jeanine Pirro accidentally destroyed her own argument against trans women athletes.
“Forget your dreams. We're going to put men in women's sports. You know what I did? I did, I asked my producer and I Roman. We were sitting there trying to figure out why would the Democrat Party do this to young girls? And it was like 1.1% of the population is transgender. And of that number, less than 100 are in the NCAA. And yet what they wanted to do was, was destroy every young girl's dreams,” said Pirro.
According to the NCAA 226,212 student-athletes competed in women’s championship sports in 2021-22.
If 99 athletes in the NCAA are transgender women that would account for approx. 0.04% of all competitive student athletes. The NCAA also has a set of standards that include testosterone suppression medication for transgender women.
Stories Fox News Ignored:
Every week I compare the hours I’ve watched on Fox with five hours of the “PBS News Hour.” The following list are stories PBS covered that Fox News did not.
Climate disasters
After catastrophic flash floods devastated the Spanish province of Valencia the government pledged $11 billion to help victims recover. Local authorities have said they will need as much as $34 billion. At least 211 people were killed during the disaster.
Rafael a Category 3 Hurricane slammed into Cuba last week knocking out the power grid for 24 hours. The island has struggled with maintaining its power grid for weeks due to storms and on ongoing economic crisis.
Japan’s Mt. Fuji finally regained its signature snow cap more than a month after it normally would and after setting a record for the most-delayed snowfall in 130 years.
Record air pollution in Lahore, Pakistan’s second largest city hospitalized hundreds while officials shut down schools and workplaces. Last Thursday Lahore had the worst air quality of any city in the world, according to IQAir, a Swiss air quality monitoring company.
Updates in the Israel-Hamas War
Rescue crews pulled out 30 bodies from a residential building in central Lebanon that was hit by an Israeli airstrike. Hezbollah has fired rockets at northern Israel since soon after the Hamas attack on October 7th. Israel has launched a massive aerial bombardment and ground invasion in Lebanon since mid-September.
Lebanon filed a complaint against Israel at the U.N.’s labor organization over the string of deadly attacks involving exploding pagers that targeted members of Hezbollah. Israel has not denied or confirmed involvement for the attack which killed at least 37 people.
According to a new UN Human Rights Office report (OHCHR) around 70% of the deaths in Gaza since the start of the conflict with Israel are women and children. UN Human Rights chief Volker Türk said the report showed that civilian casualties were “a direct consequence of the failure to comply with fundamental principles of international humanitarian law – namely the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack.”
Updates to the war in Ukraine
Ukrainian troops fought with North Korean troops for the first time. Ukraine says an estimated 11,000 North Korean soldiers were in the Kursk border region, where Ukrainian troops have a foothold.
At a recent summit of European leaders braced for a future that is less reliant on support from the United States. Concerns arose over the U.S. continued support of Ukraine and commitment to NATO.
Voters in Moldova narrowly re-elected Maia Sandu to her second term as president. The Russian government attempted to thwart her re-election in a series of campaign interference events. Sandu has a mandate to integrate Moldova into the European Union.
Workers at Boeing accepted a contract after 53 days on strike. The troubled company faces a number of challenges as it works to gain public confidence and profitability.
Drivers for ride sharing apps such as Uber and Lyft, won the right to unionize in Massachusetts after voters passed a a first-of-a-kind ballot referendum backed by national labor groups.
The FBI is investigating a series of racist text messages sent to Black Americans. The texts, which started showing up the day after the presidential election. The messages were sent to phones in 13 states.
In Ohio, Adam Coy, a white former police officer was convicted of murder for the killing of Andre Hill an unarmed Black man. Hill was shot as he walked out of a garage Coy believed was being burglarized. Hill was committing no crimes he was a guest of the homeowner. During the trial Coy said he mistakenly thought a set of keys in Hill’s right hand was a silver revolver.
The Supreme Court will hear a case involving the redistricting of a mostly Black congressional district in Louisiana. If the new district is formed it could help give Democrats another set in the House of Representatives.
The Australian government has plans to ban social media use for anyone under the age of 16. The legislation will be introduced into parliament this year and would go into effect in 12 months if approved by lawmakers.
By the Numbers
