Fox News Coverage of the Iran War is as Chaotic and Muddled as Trump's Mind
A condensed overview of 15 hours of Fox News for the week ending 3/8/26
Last week on Fox overpaid television personalities tried to fake their way through a war they didn’t understand. As the president changed the reasons he started the military conflict with Iran the folks at Fox struggled to forge a coherent message about it.
The propaganda machine sputtered and stumbled. The network kept repeating Trump’s mixed messages:
The war was already over/The war will be over soon/This isn’t a war
High gas prices are a small price to pay for freedom/Gas prices will drop immediately/Americans don’t care about high gas prices
There will be no ground invasion of U.S. troops/There might be a short ground invasion of U.S. troops
We’ve killed their leadership/The new leadership is worse than the old leadership
Trump is the peace president/Trump has started military conflicts with seven different countries
This war will bring long-term peace/Every problem in the world is caused by Iran
Russia is helping Iran/Russia is not a concern/This war is about China
The U.S. is NOT fighting Iran for Israel/Sean Hannity featured a 21 minute interview with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu
When Fox News hosts weren’t talking out of both sides of their mouths, they were promoting Trump’s lies.
Americans overwhelmingly approve of Trump’s decision to attack Iran - several polls say otherwise
Iran was capable of a nuclear attack on the U.S. or Israel - despite no evidence supporting this
The people of Iran will rise up and take over their government - so far no such movement has formed. It could be because people don’t want to stage a revolution while being attacked by the U.S. and Israel
Trump’s promises of ‘no new wars’ did not mean he’s an isolationist
In the four years I’ve covered Fox News the past week is the weakest I’ve ever seen the network. Instead of a streamlined well thought out strategy to promote the war the network’s messaging is a sloppy mess full of contradictions.
Shows I covered on Fox News last week:
Fox & Friends
The Five
Hannity
Several Trump media appearances
Brian Kilmeade Had an Idea!
On Friday on Fox & Friends Brian Kilmeade seemed to realize in real time that Russia was benefitting from the U.S. military attack on Iran.
Kilmeade: That also we gave India special permission to buy Russian oil, which, I don’t know, Scott Bessent, you know, India’s getting killed because they decided to buy from, to get to buy from other people for us in order to cut the trade deal. So they’re going to be allowed to, bring Russian oil into the Indian refineries
Ainsley Earhardt: Just temporarily?
Kilmeade: Temporarily, until we can get that strait open.
Kilmeade has been consistently sympathetic towards Ukraine since Russia invaded the country. He hasn’t questioned Trump’s seemingly close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Greg Gutfeld - Trump is a Master Planner!
On Thursday on The Five Greg Gutfeld expressed his undying faith in Trump’s plans for Iran.
“There’s almost no criticism I’ve seen of the actual strike or the incursion itself. That’s because the opening gambit was so decisive and unquestionably awesome. It’s like you can’t criticize it. So almost all of the criticism and a lot of it is legitimate is the phase that hasn’t happened yet. It’s like, well, what’s next? What next? I can guarantee you, the person that is asking how long this is the loudest is Trump, because, I mean, you think you think you’re impatient. This guy doesn’t get into something until he already knows how to get out of it. You know, he’s like a rock band that has another hotel room next to his hotel room so he can say, I’ll be right back. And then he just leaves. I learned that from somewhere. But, you know, I do think, like, normally this feels like it would already be over. Like, when you completely clean out the head and leave the body, you just think maybe there’s just nobody who can declare surrender because they’re dead. I don’t know, but I don’t see how this thing can continue much longer. But I’m not a military expert, although many people think I am,” said Gutfeld.
The Iranian government is still intact. An 88-member committee of clerics selected Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the new supreme leader.
In many ways Mojtaba Khamenei could be worse for the U.S., Israel and the region as the 56-year-old is more hardline and conservative than his father. He is also more connected with the religious leadership and is a former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Khamenei’s wife, mother and teenage son were killed during the U.S. led military strike that killed his father along with other relatives. The newly selected supreme leader was also injured during the strike although the extent of his injuries is unknown at this time.
The Ayatollah Ali Khamenei did not want his son to succeed him as he was against a dynastic power structure.
As far as Gutfeld’s claim that “this guy (Trump) doesn’t get into something until he already knows how to get out of it,” he should know that Trump has a long history of failed business ventures, lawsuits and bankruptcies. The following is an incomplete list from AOL.com.
Trump University - Trump paid $25 million in a court settlement due to accusations of fraud and deceptive practices.
Trump Casinos - the president opened three casinos in Atlantic City. The Trump Taj Mahal filed for bankruptcy multiple times before closing. In 2021 the Trump Plaza and Casino was torn down by controlled implosion. Trump was also sued by over 100 contractors for nonpayment.
Trump Mortgage launched in 2006 this company folded by 2008 due to lack sustainable revenue.
Trump Steaks - a failed venture into the luxury food market launched in 2007 Trump Steaks lasted barely two months.
The Trump Network - in 2009 Trump backed a multilevel marketing campaign that sold supplements and vitamin plans. It collapsed less than three years later.
Trump Vodka - launched in 2006 was one of the stranger choices for Trump since he does not consume alcohol himself. It went out of business in 2011.
Trump Shuttle - Trump thought business travelers wanted a high-end luxury experience for short trips from New York City to Washington D.C. It failed after three years without turning a profit.
GoTrump - a travel company that didn’t last a year.
Trump Ice - the president proved he couldn’t even sell bottled water.
Trump Home - luxury furniture no one wanted.
Trump Fragrance - apparently no one wanted to smell like Trump either.
New Jersey Generals - when I mention Trump’s many business failures on social media I get more comments about this failed United States Football League (USFL) team than anything else. Trump purchased the New Jersey USFL franchise in 1983. The USFL was meant as an alternative to the NFL. Originally the USFL held games in the spring but Trump pushed for moving the entire league to the fall putting it in direct competition with the NFL, the most popular sport on U.S. television. An anti-trust lawsuit followed with the USFL winning just $1.00. Trump’s acquisition of the New Jersey Generals ultimately destroyed the entire league.
Trump’s many business failures follow similar patterns:
Overspending at the start of the venture
Trump purchased real pearl necklaces for flight attendants on Trump Shuttle
The construction of Trump Taj Mahal topped $1 billion in 1990.
Use of deceptive and fraudulent tactics
Trump repeatedly oversold ideas or exaggerated the effectiveness of products he was selling.
Trump made promises he could not keep - Trump University and the Trump Casinos are two of the best examples of using wild claims he could never back up.
Trump’s refusal to listen to experts in a field he knew nothing about.
Gaming experts tried to warn Trump that he was making mistakes with his casinos. Trump attacked his critics.
Many sports experts tried to tell Trump that competing with the NFL would destroy the USFL.
Even a brief review of television ratings would have given Trump an idea of what the USFL was up against.
The NFL continues to have the highest ratings for any sports broadcast in the United States. NFL football games top the television ratings for all weekly programming year after year.
Trump’s style of governing mirrors his many business failures. The president is led by his own ego rather than careful research.
The president rushes in into major policy decisions without waiting for expert opinions. Trump insists he knows better than economists, military experts, diplomats and more experienced politicians.
Instead of throwing money at a problem as he did with his failed casinos Trump uses the full might of the U.S. military with disastrous consequences.
That Pesky Woke Military!
Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor, had some strange ideas about the U.S. military when he was a guest on Hannity last Wednesday.
“You’re seeing right now Sean is a military under President Trump’s leadership that’s not fighting politically correct. That isn’t fighting with its hands tied behind its back. One of the reasons, I fear, Sean, that some people in this country lost faith in the military, and the capacity to use that military to defend us is because we had a woke Pentagon, because we had a military who, at the very highest levels, not the warfighters, was forced to fight a less than full fight. What you’re seeing now, Sean, is a military that is unleashing all of its lethal prowess to go out and seek to destroy and kill the enemy, which is what militaries are for.”
Former Navy SEAL Jack Carr Compared the War in Iran to a UFC Fight
On Friday on Hannity the namesake host asked Carr what he thought of Russia’s decision to help Iran with intelligence about U.S. forces. Sean Hannity has avoided talking about Russia’s involvement himself.
Carr gave a long rambling response that downplayed Russia’s relationship with Iran.
“I would think so, but it’s really not unexpected. We do it in Ukraine. We’ve been doing it for the last few years. The Soviets did it to us in Vietnam in the 1960s and 70s. We did it to the Soviets in turn, in Afghanistan in 1979 to 89. And I see this more as a Cold War type two scenario, with China as the primary adversary, Russia as the partner, maybe the junior partner at this point, because of their reliance on the Chinese energy market, technology sector or a banking system and the Chinese and the Russians have gotten a lot closer over the past few years since the invasion of Ukraine. And let’s not forget also that Ukraine has provided or sorry, that Iran has provided Russia with drones and personnel to help assist in those drone operations in Ukraine. So they have that support network already in place. And then what are they providing? That’s the question. So, that targeting capability probably satellite imagery and then lessons learned from Ukraine and then how effective will it be. And I suspect it will have an impact, but it won’t have the type of impact that can turn the tide of the war. And the question as to why the Russians would do this, obviously, they want us focused on the Middle East, so we can’t help in Ukraine. But it is safe to say that we are dominating the battlespace at this point. And, Sean, I know you are a fan of the UFC. You follow the UFC, and if this was a fight in the Octagon, the referee would have stepped in two days ago to stop this fight.”
Brian Kilmeade it’s Your Fault if You’re Stuck in the Middle East!
On Friday on Fox & Friends Brian Kilmeade blamed Americans for getting stuck in the Middle East after Trump launched a military attack against Iran.
“We could only do so much because you don’t want to give away that we’re going to attack Iran. The surprise was key obviously. Number two is where were you? Did you notice the the this I this unparalleled, build up of an armada at sea? The news that was everywhere, in every language. So you do have to take some responsibility. And for Democrats that are outraged that the State Department hasn’t done more. Are you the same Democrats that watched the fall of Kabul and didn’t care that we left thousands behind, or citizens and our allies, and the only we’re left behind there to die. And it took Green Beret and Special Forces to combine on their money cashing in there for one case to get them out. And you are critical of Marco Rubio for not getting all these people out of the Middle East. You do have personal responsibility to a degree,” said Kilmeade.
His co-host Ainsley Earhardt, quickly jumped in to soften his messaging.
“Some people had to travel for work reasons or their their contract employees and other countries, and they’re stuck and they just want to get home and get to safety. So they’re still Americans no matter what. We’ll do whatever it takes to get them home and yes, it might take some time. And Marco Rubio, to his credit, he he, you normally would have to pay for your way home. And he said, no, we’ll pay to get you home.”
Jessica Tarlov + PBS Reveal More About Americans Trapped in the Middle East
On Tuesday on The Five Jessica Tarlov, the liberal voice on the program, went on a bit of a rant about the Trump administration’s chaotic handling of the war in Iran. She also pointed out that Americans were stranded throughout the Middle East.
“See the domino effect. You know, Karoline Leavitt tweeting out pieces in the National Review saying, no, Rubio didn’t say that’s President Trump saying Iran was going to attack first. That also flies in the face of what the Pentagon Briefers were saying. If we were so prepared for this to happen, I find it hard to believe that there would be thousands of Americans stranded across the region. And there are lessons to be learned out of the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan under President Biden. These people should not be going on the website for the American embassy in Jerusalem saying, you know, I need to get out of here. And they say, we can’t help you, right? You shouldn’t call the State Department hotline. And they shouldn’t say, we can’t help you. And I saw there was a tweet this afternoon that there are going to be charter flights. But these people are already there and they’re already stranded,” said Tarlov.
On Friday the PBS News Hour featured an extended segment about several American citizens who were stranded in the Middle East. One woman, Emaan Abbass, who had managed to get out included cell phone footage of a message from the U.S. Department of State.
“They had posted a phone number for us to contact for support in terms of helping us evacuate. We call and we’re on hold for lengthy periods of time. Finally, we get through to someone. They tell us this isn’t the right number. You need to call the consulate and it’s basically, a recording,” said Abbass.
Producers then included a short cell phone video of the message Abbass received when she called the number for help.
“Please do not rely on the U.S. government for assisted departure or evacuation at this time,” said the recoding.
“We cannot help you. Basically, there is no concern for our lives,” said Abbass.
The PBS News Hour - Trump Was Implicated in the Epstein Files
On Friday the PBS News Hour included a story that wasn’t even mentioned on any show I covered on Fox News last. This was the ultimate ‘Story Fox News Ignored.’
PBS co-anchor Geoff Bennett spoke to PBS justice correspondent Ali Rogin about recent documents released from the Epstein files that directly implicated President Trump of sexual assault of a minor-aged girl.
Bennett: Ali, tell us more about what’s in these documents, Jeff.
Rogin: These documents are known as 302 (FD-302) files. They’re summaries of three interviews the FBI conducted with this accuser, in which she alleges that Epstein brought her to meet Trump, sometime between, when she was aged 13 and 15. She details in very graphic terms, Trump’s sexual, alleged sexual assault against her and how she fought back. She also says she has she had two additional interactions with Trump. But before she expanded on that any further, she asked if she could go on to another subject. During the last interview with the accuser. The FBI asked if she would be comfortable sharing more about her contacts with, Trump. She said at the time, that she didn’t know what the point would be when there was a strong possibility nothing could be done about it. And it’s unclear, Jeff, if there was any additional follow up after that last interview.
Bennett: Why weren’t these documents initially released?
Rogin: These three summaries are actually part of a set of four, and that other document was released as part of that initial major tranche we saw in late January. That summary, was an interview in which the accuser focused on Epstein and didn’t mention Trump. These others also, these others, of course, mentioned the Trump allegations. Reporters caught this discrepancy because descriptions of all four summaries of the interviews were included in a list that was given to attorneys for Epstein coconspirator Ghislaine Maxwell. In a statement released on social media, the Department of Justice said the interviews had been incorrectly deemed duplicative and were subsequently published. The DOJ also says that the unredacted versions of the documents will be available for members of Congress to review, but reporters have noted that even still, there are additional documents that remain missing. Independent journalist Roger Sollenberger has been following this closely, and he noted that there are at least 37 pages still missing. That includes notes that, informed these summaries, as well as internal communication that would memorialize how the situation with the accuser was resolved.
Bennett: What’s the White House saying about all of this?
Rogin: White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt put out a statement in which she called the accusations completely baseless. And she says they come from a, quote, sadly disturbed woman who has an extensive criminal history.
Bennett: If the accuser is unidentified, how would she know that to be true?
Rogin: There are some details in the summaries of these interviews in which the accuser talks about her arrests as a minor, while these allegations remain uncorroborated. There is new reporting, Jeff, tonight from Julie K. Brown of the Miami Herald, who’s broken much of the Epstein story, saying that DOJ officials who spoke to this woman found her to be credible and that they wouldn’t have interviewed her four times if they didn’t.
Here is a link to the 18-pages that were recently released of these exact conversations. The woman was interviewed in 2019. The document includes some redactions.
The woman’s allegations against Trump are extremely disturbing.
Stories Fox News Ignored
Every week I compare the shows I’ve covered on Fox News with five hours of the PBS News Hour. The following list are stories that PBS covered that Fox News did not. This list has been truncated due to length. Source - PBS News Hour transcripts
The Supreme Court seemed to lean towards loosening a federal law that bars drug users from owning guns. During oral arguments, both liberal and conservative justices appeared to support a Texas man who argued he shouldn’t have been charged with a crime because he owns a gun and uses marijuana. It’s the same law that led to Hunter Biden’s conviction in 2024 before he was pardoned by his father, then-President Joe Biden. Critics fear such a ruling could put guns in the hands of serious drug users. (PBS News Hour)
French President Emmanuel Macron says his country will increase the size of its nuclear arsenal for the first time in decades. Macron also said France will temporarily allow the deployment of nuclear-armed jets to allies like the U.K., Germany and Poland. His announcement comes amid growing concerns about Russian military aggression and ongoing political tensions with Washington. France currently has fewer than 300 nuclear warheads, which ranks at fourth worldwide and far behind the likes of the U.S. and Russia. Macron did not signal how many more France will be adding, but it will be the first increase since at least 1992. (PBS News Hour)
Officials in South Sudan say at least 169 people were killed after insurgents raided a remote village in the country’s far north. The attack took place in Abiemnom County near the Sudan border. Local officials say 90 civilians were killed, including women and children. The U.S. -- U.N. mission in South Sudan says that some 1,000 people sought shelter at its base after the attack. Killings are part of an escalating wave of violence between forces loyal to the current president and those backing an opposition leader, putting the country on the verge of an all-out civil war. (PBS News Hour)
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will voluntarily testify in the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. That’s according to the committee’s chairman, though no date has been set.
He used to be Epstein’s neighbor in Manhattan and has admitted to visiting Epstein’s private island back in 2012. Lutnick has not been accused of any wrongdoing. (PBS News Hour)
Officials in Pakistan say Afghan forces attacked its military positions along the border, though there are conflicting reports on casualties. Pakistani authorities say at least 67 Afghan troops were killed, with local hospitals treating residents who were caught up in the fighting. Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry rejected those figures, instead saying that Afghan troops repelled the attacks and killed four Pakistani soldiers. The conflicting reports come on a fifth day of violence, which started with the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan, launching attacks last week as a response to earlier Pakistan airstrikes. (PBS News Hour)
The Republican-led House Oversight Committee has voted to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi for what the “News Hour” has learned would be a closed-door taped deposition. Five Republicans voted with Democrats in favor of the measure.
Bondi will be the highest-ranking sitting official to appear before the panel. She had already fielded Epstein-related questions during a combative appearance before a separate committee last month. It comes soon after lawmakers requested interviews with seven other people, including the billionaires Bill Gates and Leon Black. (PBS News Hour)
Separately, the Justice Department says that tens of thousands of Epstein files that were recently taken down will be reposted soon, telling the “News Hour” -- quote -- “More than 47,000 files were offline for further review and should be ready for reproduction by the end of the week.” (PBS News Hour)
A new report says Catholic clergy in Rhode Island abused hundreds of children for decades as church leaders minimized the scandal. According to the report, more than 300 children were molested and assaulted by at least 75 different clergy members over 70 years. William Brangham discussed the investigation with Ann Hagan Webb, a survivor of clergy sexual abuse and an advocate for other survivors. (PBS News Hour)
In Cuba, officials say Washington’s oil blockade of the island is at least partly to blame for a widespread blackout that left millions in the dark. Crews have been working day and night to restore power, and state media reported just over half of Havana is back online. But for those enduring yet another outage, the frustration and anger are growing. Cuba has long struggled with an aging electric grid and the Trump administration's blockade of the island has only made matters worse for locals. Officials warn it could take up to four days to fully restore power. (PBS News Hour)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection says it should have a process ready in about 45 days to start refunding invalidated tariffs to hundreds of thousands of companies. In a filing, CBP told the Court of International Trade that it couldn’t immediately comply with the judge’s order to refund the tariffs after the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled them illegal. Many large companies, including Costco, FedEx and Kohl’s, have sued the Trump administration for refunds. Some have pledged to pass on any compensation directly to customers. (PBS News Hour)
A disappointing jobs report shows that employers cut 92,000 jobs in February. The report also included downward revisions for the previous two months and a slight rise in the unemployment rate. It paints a picture of a labor market struggling across several sectors, including some that were engines of recent growth. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG. (PBS News Hour)
By the Numbers
