Fox News Officially Becomes Trump State Media

A condensed overview for Fox News from 1/13/24 - 1/18/24

Jan 20, 2025

Last week the folks on Fox were angrier than ever that Joe Biden lasted until the end of his term and that Vice President Kamala Harris declared it was not in her nature to go “quietly into the night.”

Fox News personalities claimed that Trump negotiated the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas even though the Biden administration has worked on the agreement for months. Sean Hannity and others declared that the FDA’s decision to ban a carcinogenic food dye was due to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s influence even though his confirmation process for director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services hasn’t even started yet.

The network also bolstered Melania Trump’s false claim that the Obama administration impeded her move into the White House during her husband’s first term. Mrs. Trump famously remained in her Manhattan penthouse for five months after her husband began his presidency while Barron Trump completed the school year.

The talking heads at Fox also appeared to have amnesia over the battle to ban the Chinese owned social media app TikTok.

Donald J. Trump led the charge to ban the platform only to do an abrupt about face after it benefitted his presidential campaign. As the deadline to destroy the app loomed the president-elect vowed to save TikTok.

Trump hasn’t even been sworn in yet and the lies, gaslighting, false narratives and chaos have already begun.

Anyone watching Fox News exclusively last week might have missed out on the FDA’s plans to limit the amount of nicotine in cigarettes and other tobacco products, various stories involving the Supreme Court and NATO’s strategy to protect underwater cables.

Shows I covered on Fox News last week:

Fox & Friends
The Five
Hannity

This week covers Monday through Saturday only. Fox added a several shows on Sunday that are related to Trump’s inguaration. I thought it made more sense to include Sunday’s programming with next week rather than split the event in half.

Fox News Is State Propaganda

Last week Sean Hannity fully embraced his role as the chief propagandist for Donald J. Trump’s administration. Hannity never really admitted that he turned into a shilling sycophant but that’s what he’s become.

On Tuesday the long-time Fox News host proved he had absolutely no self awareness as he lambasted other media companies.

“That they're living. It's as though the election never stopped for that. They continually lie to their audience,” said Hannity as he trashed Democrats.

In April 2023, Fox News paid $787.5 million dollars to Dominion Voting Systems in one of the largest defamation settlements in history. According to court documents related to the lawsuit Fox News executives and on-air talent knowingly promoted false stories about fraud in the 2020 election.

It was Fox News that couldn’t let the 2020 election go as Fox guests and hosts both falsely claimed voting machines, elected officials and even volunteers rigged the election for Biden in multiple states.

On Friday Hannity trashed other media companies for showing bias towards President Biden.

“And I would argue that any content provider moving forward that is going to have any level of success, they're not going to get away with the what, MSDNC (MSNBC) and fake news, CNN and ABC, NBC, CBS do and that is lie to their audiences and are so partisan and political and pretend to be journalists. That's not going to survive,” said Hannity.

Hannity - Thank you for Voting for Trump

Also on Friday Sean Hannity openly thanked his audience for helping get Trump elected. There was no pretense that the man with a reported $35 million salary was even attempting to present news.

The Fox News host also played into MAGA’s cultish themes of persecution and perseverance.

“And last but certainly not least, all of this was made possible by all of you. Each and every one of you. And again, I can't thank each and every one of you enough. This can be the most transformational presidency in 100 years. There will be thousands upon thousands of loyal Donald Trump supporters like you in DC, celebrating what is a new day in America. That would have been, you know, would not have been possible without all of your hard work, your effort, your perseverance, and many of you watching tonight. You should have stuck with Donald Trump through thick and thin, through trials, through witch hunts, through early morning raids, dishonest smear campaigns two assassination attempts. Many of you were shunned. You were censored. You were harassed simply because of your deeply held political beliefs. But you hung in there. You did the right thing. You fought hard for what you believed in. And because of all of you, Donald Trump now has a mandate to return America to what I'm calling constitutional order,” said Hannity.

Later during the end of his pre-taped Friday night episode he repeated the same themes.

“Imagine introspection and a time on this show to say thanks to all of you. Because in less than three days, because of your hard work, your dedication, you filtering out the lies of the legacy media, Donald Trump will be back in office. And America now has a golden opportunity to get back on track,” said Hannity.

Fox Claimed Trump Brokered a Ceasefire Between Israel and Hamas

On Wednesday on “Fox & Friends,” Trey Yingst, one of the war correspondents for Fox News reported from Tel Aviv, about the possibility of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Steve Doocy ended Yingst’s brief segment.

“Trey Yingst live in Tel Aviv, where it's 1:12 in the afternoon, and there is a pause on the vote. It's a breaking news situation. Trey will be standing by. When that happens,” said Doocy.

“So what happens on Monday, because Donald Trump has warned if they're not released by Monday. What was his quote? All hell breaks loose?” asked Ainsely Earhardt

“All hell breaks loose,” both Doocy and Lawrence Jones said at the same time.

Brian Kilmeade interrupted.

“And guess who could do that? The IDF, who've been holding back because of constraints. And you know you don't want any civilian casualties. But when he says all hell breaks loose, it doesn't mean we're going in. It means one of the most lethal fighting forces in the world will no longer be constrained. And I don't think the subtext is lost on Hamas,” said Kilmeade.

Trump did declare that "all hell will break out" if Hamas did not agree to release hostages the group has held in Gaza by the time he was sworn in as president on Jan. 20.

It’s hard to know what Trump was planning as most of Gaza is already damaged and destroyed, Hamas has been greatly weakened and the residents of Gaza are facing extreme hunger.

According to reporting by Voice of America, using satellite data, the United Nations estimated last month that 69% of the structures in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, including over 245,000 homes. The World Bank estimated $18.5 billion in damage — nearly the combined economic output of the West Bank and Gaza in 2022 — from just the first four months of the war.

The area has also seen a massive loss of life as according to the Hamas-run health ministry, 46,000 Palestinians have been killed. The agency does not differentiate between civilian and military deaths.

Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine estimate that the casualty rate in Gaza could be 41% higher while others dispute the Hamas backed health ministry’s findings.

For months the United Nations and other aid groups have been sounding the alarm on a hunger crisis in Gaza as the U.N. claimed that nearly 1.8 million people faced extreme food insecurity in October.

It’s hard to know exactly how much of a role Trump played in the negotiations of the ceasefire deal that has stretched on for months. Israeli President Bibi Netanyahu has shown deference towards Trump as he faces internal political conflicts in his own country as well as ongoing criminal corruption charges.

Trump has historically given Nethanyahu anything he’s wanted as he helped move the capital and U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. During his first term Trump declared the disputed territory of the Golan Heights for Israel.

Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the closing stages of the 1967 Six-Day War. The rest of the international community with the exception of the United States considers the area to be occupied territory under international law and UN Security Council resolutions.

Trump also cut off $200 million in foreign aid to Palestinians during his first term and appointed one of his lawyers, David Friedman, as the U.S. ambassador for Israel. Friedman had no previous diplomatic experience.

Friedman did not support a two-state solution, and said that Jews who oppose the Israeli occupation of the West Bank were worse than kapos, Nazi-era prisoners who served as concentration camp guards.

The ambassador was also extremely pro-settler - a highly controversial far-right extremist movement that includes Israelis who believe they have a divine right to the land in the occupied West Bank and Golan Heights.

The settlements are considered illegal by the international community.

Ambassador Friedman wanted to support and expand this extremist movement. President Biden imposed sanctions on three extremist Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank who were accused of harassing and attacking Palestinians to force them off their land.

Trump has also benefitted quite a bit from the timing of his inauguration.

The situation in Israel-Palestine has changed dramatically in the past few months as Israeli forces killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, while severely weakening Hamas’s ally Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Iran’s attempts to terrorize and kill Israelis were wildly unsuccessful. If Trump made the same threats six months ago Hamas leaders might have felt they had a better hand against Israel.

The ceasefire will also roll out in stages as so far only three hostages have been returned to their families in Israel after being held by Hamas for 470 days. The first phase of the ceasefire calls for 33 hostages to be released over a six-week period while Israel will release at least 1,700 Palestinian prisoners.

During the ceasefire humanitarian groups will be able to get food, water, clothing, medicine, fuel and malnutrition treatment to over two million people in the badly damaged Gaza region. A spokesperson from the WHO (World Health Organization) estimated that up to 500-600 trucks a day could deliver aid to the war torn area.

The fragile ceasefire could fall apart during any phase of the agreement.

Pete Hegseth is a Military Genius Except He Isn’t

On Tuesday morning on “Fox & Friends,” Lawrence Jones predicted that Pete Hegseth would look like a military expert during his Senate Armed Services Committee hearing for his nomination as Defense Secretary.

“He's been doing it for a long time. I also cautioned them to actually know the positions. Because this is somebody that is well read, written a ton of books on this stuff. There's been a, attempt to bastardize his views on a lot of things. He's well thought out on what he believes. So I think this is going to be the best part of the process for him,” said Jones.

Hegseth’s most recent book, “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free” is largely an extended rant of what Hegseth calls the military’s woke policies. It does not contain much of anything about military history, strategy, organization, or advancements in technology.

In his book Hegseth offers no vision for the U.S. military other than a removal of women from combat roles, an expulsion of transgender service personnel and a loosening of laws and regulations regarding war crimes. He also showed great disdain for JAG officers (Judge Advocate General) - lawyers who defend the military and service personnel in all military legal matters.

JAG officers also sometimes investigate and prosecute service personnel for war crimes.

Sean Hannity also praised Hegseth on “Hannity,” hours after his confirmation hearing.

“Knowing him myself for as many years as I have. This man eats, breathes, sleeps, lives, military. The men and women in combat every single day,” said Hannity.

During the confirmation hearing Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a highly decorated Iraqi combat war veteran, asked Hegseth a relatively easy question that he couldn’t answer.

“With that in mind, Mr. Hegseth, I want you to try to explain to the American people this committee who have to vote for you and to our troops are deployed around the world. Why you are qualified to lead the Department of Defense? We already know that you've only led the largest, a 200 person organization. We already know that you so badly mangled a budget that after you left, they had to bring in a forensic accountant to figure out what went wrong . . .You talked about the Indo-Pacific a little bit, and I'm glad that you mention it all. Can you name the importance of at least one of the nations in the ASEAN, in ASEAN, and what type of agreement we have with at least one of those nations? And how many nations are in ASEAN, by the way?” asked Duckworth.

“I couldn't tell you the exact . . .” said Hegseth.

“No you couldn’t because . . .” said Duckworth.

“I know we have allies in South Korea and Japan and AUKUS with Australia trying to work on submarines with them,” said Hegseth.

“Mr. Hegseth, none of those counties are in ASEAN. None of those three countries that you've mentioned are in Asean. I suggest you do a little homework before you prepare for these types of, negotiations,” said Duckworth.

ASEAN is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations a political and economic alliance which includes Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Together they make up 647 million with a combined GDP of $2.9 trillion.

Melania Trump Told a Misleading Story about the Obamas

On Monday Melania Trump sat down for an interview on “Fox & Friends,” with Ainsely Earhardt. She made a disparaging statement about Barack and Michelle Obama while promoting a film project about her life in the White House.

“It's a snapshot of what it takes to move back into the White House. I don't think a first lady has ever done this,”said Earhardt

“Not that I know, of course,” said Trump.

“Behind the scenes. What is it like when you're moving back in the white House? Are you what's different this time?” asked Earhardt.

“The difference is, I know where I would be going. I know the rooms where we would be leaving. I know the process. The first time was challenging. We didn't have much of the information. The information was, upheld for us, from previous administration. But this time I have everything. I have the plans. I could move in, I already packed, I already selected, you know, the furniture that needs to go in,” said Trump.

Melania Trump did not formally move into the White House until five months into her husband’s first term. That would have given her plenty of time to figure out the layout of her family’s residence.

Mrs. Trump decided to reside in her Trump Tower penthouse to allow son Barron, who was only 10 at the time, to complete the school year in New York City.

According to reporting by People Magazine, In a letter written in Feb. 2017 to Congress members representing New York City New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner James O’Neill said it will cost between $127,000 and $146,000 per day to protect the Trump Tower penthouse.

The NYPD and the New York City Fire Department said that it cost a combined total of $25.7 million to protect President Trump‘s family, private home and office for the 75 days between Election Day and Inauguration Day

Fox News Pretended RFK Jr. is Already the Head of HHS

On Wednesday, while a guest on “Hannity,” fitness expert Jillian Michaels praised Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the FDA’s decision to ban the food coloring Red Dye Number 3.

“I first want to point out how grateful I am to Bobby Kennedy and Donald Trump to highlight and empower Calley Means, Vani Hari and Jason Karp who brought the Froot Loops argument into the spotlight. Okay perfect we’re going to ban Red Number 40,” said Michaels.

Michaels got the name of the food dye incorrect it is Red Dye Number 3 not Red Number 40.

A quick background on some of the people she mentioned during her statement:

Calley Means co-wrote “Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health. He claims to have a background as a consultant for the food and pharmaceutical industries. Calley Means is a frequent guest on Fox News. He has no medical training. Means co-wrote “Good Energy” with his sister Casey Means, a trained physician who dropped out of a medical residency when she was 30. Means no longer treats patients.
Vani Hari writes a popular blog where she is known as the Food Babe. Hari is not a doctor and has been criticized for promoting pseudoscience and chemophobia the irrational fear of synthetic chemicals. Hari does not have any medical training.
Jason H. Karp is a former hedge fund manager who is the CEO of HumanCo a company that specializes in grain-free processed foods and includes True Food Kitchen, a chain of restaurants with several locations across the country. Karp has no medical training.
Bobby Kennedy (Robert F. Kennedy Jr.) Trump’s pick to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services. He has not had a confirmation hearing yet. Kennedy has a background as an environmental lawyer. He also promotes himself as a health and wellness expert despite having no medical training. Kennedy has made a number of controversial statements lambasting the effectiveness and safety of vaccines. He’s promoted pseudoscience and snake oil rememdies. Kennedy has referred to his future platform if confirmed, as Make America Healthy Again. Many consider him one of Trump’s worst cabinet picks.

The next day on “Fox & Friends,” Ainsley Earhardt also tied the FDA’s decision.

“The FDA banning the use of artificial coloring called red dye number three, which is used in thousands of our beverages, candy, and other foods amid cancer links. The move, already a major win for the Make America Healthy Again movement,” said Earhardt.

She provided no proof that Trump or Kennedy had any involvement with the FDA’s decision.

Stories Fox News Ignored

Every week I compare the hours I’ve watched on Fox News to five hours of the PBS News Hour. The following list are stories that PBS covered that Fox News did not.

Updates in the Ukraine War
- Ukraine targeted Russia with several U.S.-made missiles and carried out one of its largest drone attacks to date. Ukrainian forces reportedly launched more than 140 drones at areas near the border and well beyond, including the region of Saratov, where eyewitness video caught an oil refinery that went up in flames. (PBS News Hour)
- In Ukraine, officials say a major Russian missile attack forced authorities to shut down parts of its power grid. There were no reported casualties, but energy infrastructure is critical during Ukraine’s frigid winter months. (PBS News Hour)
- The Biden administration is ramping up sanctions on entities connected to Russia’s war effort. The Treasury Department said today it’s reimposing sanctions on 100 companies and institutions that had already been targeted and adding sanctions on 15 new ones. (PBS News Hour)

On Monday the Biden administration proposed a new framework for the exporting of the advanced computer chips used to develop artificial intelligence, an attempt to balance national security concerns about the technology with the economic interests of producers and other countries. (PBS News Hour)
China’s exports in December grew at a faster pace than expected, as factories rushed to fill orders to beat higher tariffs that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose once he takes office. (PBS News Hour)
In South Africa at least 100 men who were mining illegally died after being trapped underground in an abandoned gold mine. Police cut off the men’s food supply in an attempt to force them out. There could be as many as 500 men still trapped in the mine. (AP)
On Monday the Supreme Court said it won't hear an appeal from oil and gas companies who want to block lawsuits related to climate change. The order allows a case to proceed from the city of Honolulu that aims to hold BP, Shell and others liable for billions of dollars in damages linked to climate change. (PBS News Hour)
The Supreme Court signaled support today for a Texas law aimed at blocking children from seeing pornography online. Critics of the measure say it violates the First Amendment by requiring age verifications like photo ID. (PBS News Hour)
The court also denied an Utah lawsuit seeking to take control of nearly 19 million acres of land from the federal government. It also sidestepped two gun related cases, one in Maryland related to handgun licenses and the other a challenge to Delaware's ban on assault style rifles. And the court upheld a state House district in North Dakota that's located on an American Indian reservation.(PBS News Hour)
Last Wednesday South Korea investigators apprehended the impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol. A court rejected a petition to release him from detention. On Sunday he was formally arrested and could face prison time over his ill-fated declaration of martial law last month. (PBS News Hour)
Last Friday NATO launched a new center for protecting undersea pipelines and cables following the still-unsolved apparent attack on the Nord Stream pipelines and amid concern Russia is mapping vital Western infrastructure for energy and the internet in waters around Europe. (PBS News Hour)
President Joe Biden signed an executive order that would allow companies to build AI infrastructure and large-scale data centers at government and federally owned sites. (PBS News Hour)
The FDA proposed a new rule that would cap the level of nicotine in cigarettes. The new rule would limit nicotine levels at 0.7 milligrams per gram of tobacco in cigarettes and certain other combusted tobacco products, which is significantly lower than the average concentration in these products on the market today.
Two lunar landers launched from Florida as part as a dual mission to the moon by two different companies. One lander was sent up by a U.S. company Firefly Aerospace. The other lander belonged to a Japanese company ispace. (PBS News Hour)
Rudy Giuliani settled with two former Georgia election workers on Thursday in a deal that will let him keep his homes and personal belongings in return for compensation and a promise to never defame them again, lawyers and the women said. (PBS News Hour)
The American Cancer Society released Cancer Statistics, 2025, the organization’s annual report on cancer facts and trends. The new findings show the cancer mortality rate declined by 34% from 1991 to 2022 in the United States, averting approximately 4.5 million deaths. However, this steady progress is jeopardized by increasing incidence for many cancer types, especially among women and younger adults, shifting the burden of disease. (American Cancer Society)
The FDA authorized the marketing and sale of Zyn nicotine pouches. After an extensive review the FDA said the products were found to pose lower health risk than cigarettes and other tobacco products. (NPR.org)
The U.S has increased sanctions against Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the Sudanese military chief after senior U.S. officials found evidence of chemical weapons in at least two cases along with other atrocities in the Sudan civil war. (The New York Times)
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a broad cooperation pact with the president of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian. The agreement is meant to deepen relations between Iran and Russia as both countries face harsh Western sanctions. (AP)
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a list of the next drugs for Medicare price negotiations as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. The announcement included the popular drugs Ozempic and Wegovy but medicare only covers the medications form patients with diabetes or heart disease. Other drugs on the list are used to treat cancer, asthma and arthritis. President-elect Trump has said he wants to repeal the law that allows for price negotiations. (PBS News Hour)
China's population fell last year for the third straight year. The country saw a decline of 1.39 million people from 2023 to 2024. China is now facing an aging population along with an emerging shortage of younger workers. (NPR)
Bob Uecker, the Hall of Fame broadcaster for his hometown Milwaukee Brewers, has died. He was 90 years old. Uecker started his career as a player in the major leagues but was far better known as one of the greatest baseball broadcasters in the industry. Uecker or “Mr. Baseball” as he was known by fans, called games for over 53 years and made around 100 appearances on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson. (PBS News Hour)
Joan Plowright, a British actor died at the age of 95. She got her start in theater when she was only three years old. She worked extensively onstage and in film and television roles. Plowright won a Tony Award, two Golden Globes and nominations for an Oscar and an Emmy. She was made a dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004. She was also the third wife of the late Laurence Olivier. (PBS News Hour)