Fox News Humiliates Itself for the Glorious Leader

A condensed overview of 15 hours of Fox News for the week ending 4/19/26

Apr 23, 2026

Since President Trump decided to attack Iran Fox News has become a buffoonish propagandist for a half-baked military fiasco. Instead of acknowledging that the president is not a trustworthy source of information the network repeats his delusions as if they were Gospel truths.

As Trump manipulates the financial markets and lies about phantom agreements with the Iranian regime Fox News folds and twists itself into complex knots of fabricated nonsense to justify the incredibly unpopular conflict in the Middle East.

The man cost the network $787.5 million in a defamation settlement with Dominion Voting Systems after Fox News knowingly promoted false stories about the 2020 election. Despite the enormous payout it is still profitable to follow the mad king off a cliff.

Everything Trump says is taken on good faith. Every public relations fiasco he makes is embraced and celebrated.

If Trump attacks, the head of a church that includes at least one in five Americans, Fox will champion the president’s blunder. When the President seemingly invents peace agreements from thin air Fox News never questions it.

The corporate leadership at Fox News knows its job - back the president no matter what he says or does until the network starts losing money.

Shows I covered on Fox News last week:

Fox & Friends
The Five
Hannity
Trump media appearances and press conferences

On Monday - Trump was a Brilliant Strategist

At the start of the week on Fox & Friends the president was portrayed as a master military strategist.

The president’s decision to attend sporting events were seen as an act of defiance not misplaced priorities.

“So it was a brilliant move to shut off the street. It’s like, no, you kid, you’re going to take extortion. The country’s going to pay you $2 million, a tanker. Now we’re going to decide nothing gets through. Guess who’s not getting through China. Guess it’s not Russia, too. Japan. Allies and enemies. You’re not getting through. So this will this is going to be a test of wills, and it’s going to be financial pain in the short term. But as the president went even said to Maria, Maria said to him yesterday, would you, do you what do you think prices are going to be down by Election Day? You said, I don’t know, let’s say maybe a little bit truth, but that’s also to Iran. You win. I’m not fudging. Oh, you guys are in talks 21 hours after my vice president took an 18 hour trip. I’m going to UFC fight. I’m going with the secretary of state. Well, we’re also going to. But we’re going to also circle the moon with Artemis II, we’re not stopping. Also, I’m going to note what’s happening at the Masters. We’re not stopping. We’re putting the strain on our allies who are sitting on the sideline and putting the strain on our enemies who are China, who seem to be somewhat benefiting from this.”

On Tuesday - Trump Tried Diplomacy! Trump Was a Genius

On Fox & Friends the president was again some type of genius for blocking the Strait of Hormuz after the Iranians decided to shut it down.

“So, it looks like this as a tactical move is a master stroke. I’m not saying it’s a cure all, but what he totally did is flip the script. No, you shut down the street. We told you to. For one of the things for the ceasefire was open up the strait. You didn’t get 5 or 9 boats in. Okay. While we’re in talks. I’m sending a minesweeper in to clean it up. And when you’re done with the talks. Well, J.D. is heading back. I’m blockading the place now. We gave you a shot,” said Brian Kilmeade.

“Not just that. If you all remember when we had, Chris Wright, the secretary of energy, the president had this option to do at first, but he was worried about the overall global market. He tried to work with the other nations because he thought they were going to get involved. They would do the right thing. They refused to get involved,” said Lawrence Jones.

“Still do,” said Kilmeade.

“Exactly. They still refuse to get involved. And so now the president’s like, okay, I tried to be diplomatic about this. Now no one gets anything. Until you guys come to negotiate,” said Jones.

“And as a result of this blockade, Iran cannot ship products into their country. So this is choking them out. And 100 oil supertankers are now redirecting to the Gulf of America to fill up, their, their ships in Texas now,” said Ainsley Earhardt

Harold Ford Jr. - Trump’s Deal Will Look Like Obama’s

On Tuesday on The Five Harold Ford Jr. conceded that a possible nuclear agreement with Iran might be similar to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“Finally, we are probably going to end up Jesse and everybody around the table with an agreement between us and the Iranians. That’s going to look a lot closer to what Obama negotiated several years ago than not. I don’t think the Obama deal was as bad as some people think. I won’t go as far as my friend, from the great senator from Virginia, Tim Kaine, who said it would be the worst is the worst thing ever. But I do think, if we’ll look back and wonder why we were to ourselves from that agreement, if indeed we have to agree to something very similar a few years later, I will say I’m not so sure. You’re right. Probably. I hope I’m not. Oh, I’m not, but if I am right, I hope you say I’m right. If you’re right, you’re getting a right.”

The JCPOA was negotiated with the U.S., U.K., France, China, Russia, and Germany over a period of 20 months.

The Strait is Open! The Strait is Closed!

By Friday the folks at Fox News praised Trump for his excellent negotiating skills for meeting Iran’s bluff on the Strait of Hormuz.

On The Five Shannon Bream said that the Strait of Hormuz was open for all shipping.

“So, the president and Iran’s foreign minister both declaring the strait is, quote, completely open to all ships.”
“But President Trump has proven that he makes the impossible possible. He is the greatest dealmaker of all time,” said Kayleigh McEnany.

Jesse Watters has repeated the false claim that the war was over.

“The president said, we win the war in six weeks and it took seven. So I feel lied to. This basically is unconditional surrender. And that would make this war the most swift, decisive, surgical, effective, probably the greatest war in American history.”

Sean Hannity declared victory.

“The Iranian regime has crumbled under pressure and is now agreeing to all of the president’s demands. Now effective immediately, the Strait of Hormuz is fully open for business, according to President Trump. This is the example the embodiment of peace through strength.”

Fox News correspondent Greg Palkot assumed the president’s statement was accurate when he displayed his Truth Social post on the screen.

“President Trump posting yes, Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again. It will no longer be used as a weapon against the world.”

The next morning the Iranian government declared that the Strait of Hormuz was closed.

According to reporting by the Washington Post Iranian officials disputed many of Trump’s claims about a deal to re-open the waterway to ship traffic.

“The President of the United States made seven claims in one hour, all seven of which were false,” chief Iranian negotiator Mohammad Ghalibaf wrote on X late Friday. “They did not win the war with these lies, and they will certainly not get anywhere in negotiations either.” He added, “media warfare and engineering public opinion are an important part of war, and the Iranian nation is not affected by these tricks,” adding: “With the continuation of the blockade, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open.”
A Foreign Ministry statement, posted by state broadcaster IRIB, said: “The Americans talk excessively and create noise around the situation. Do not be misled! There is no new agreement.”

Clay Travis Makes up Stories

On Wednesday on Hannity, Outkick founder, Clay Travis made an outrageous claim about former President Barack Obama.

“Trump is doing this, even though Sean, he’s not going to get most of the benefit. This is not a decision that’s being made for six months for now. It’s a decision that’s being made for the next 20 plus years, after Trump has been gone from the White House for a long time. You know who sees it? Bill Clinton, who has been calling President Trump and saying, you’re doing to Iran what I wish I had done to North Korea, the world would have been better if Clinton had done to North Korea what Trump is doing to Iran.”

Trump has made false claims that former presidents have reached out to him about his decision to attack Iran. Barack Obama, Joe Biden, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have all denied speaking to Trump about Iran.

Sean Hannity Gets in a Fight with The Pope

On Thursday Sean Hannity declared he was leaving the Catholic Church.

“But as of today, I no longer consider myself a Catholic. And while I am a Christian, I left the Catholic Church in large part because of institutionalized corruption, and it was at the parish level to the bishop level cardinals all the way to Rome,” said Hannity.

Sean Hannity made the same announcement seven years prior on an episode of Ainsley’s Bible Study on Fox Nation, the network’s subscription streaming service.

According to reporting by The Christian Post that was given a pre-screening of the episode in 2019 Hannity left the Catholic Church due to “too much institutionalized corruption” that has not been “rectified.”

Hannity continued his criticism of the Pope and the Catholic Church.

“And, you know, the very top scandals, terrible behavior, frankly, went not only unchecked, but they never fully corrected it or dealt with it. And others at the Vatican have totally lost sight of the true meaning of the Bible and its teachings. I don’t know why. For the first 1200 years of the church, priests were allowed to marry. They changed that law. But right on cue, Pope Leo XIV is now seemingly more interested in spreading left wing politics and the actual teachings of Jesus Christ. As the AP put it. Quote. Pope Leo amplified his condemnation of America’s conflict with Iran, saying that God does not bless any conflict and certainly doesn’t side with those who drop bombs. Well, first, that is simply not biblically accurate. The Bible contains over 400 references to war, frequently depicting God as authorizing, commanding, intervening in battles like a one that we all know. The battle between David and Goliath,” said Hannity.

Hannity’s choice to cite the David versus Goliath story was odd since the story is about a young shepherd fighting a fierce giant who is described as a 9-foot-tall Philistine. Some Bible scholars argue that Goliath was actually closer to 6 feet 9 inches.

In the story the underdog David knocks down the heavily armored Goliath with stone from a sling then beheads Goliath with the giant’s own sword.

If anyone was using the story as an analogy to describe the current conflict in the Middle East the United States would likely be the giant as we have the largest economy, spend the most on our military of any country and have a full nuclear arsenal.

Iran is hardly a humble shepherd as its sponsored terrorist attacks across the region for decades, but Hannity probably should have used another Biblical example.

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. This list has been truncated due to space. Source - The PBS News Hour transcripts.

A federal judge has dismissed President Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the publisher of The Wall Street Journal for a story on the president’s ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. That article from last summer centered on a sexually suggestive letter written for Epstein’s 50th birthday that appears to bear Trump’s signature. The president denies writing it.Mr. Trump’s legal team said they would refile the suit. (PBS News Hour)
A new study found that deadly antisemitic attacks around the world last year were the highest seen in more than three decades. In all, 20 people were killed across three continents; 15 of those people were killed in the mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney, Australia’s Bondi Beach. Other deadly attacks were recorded in the U.S. and the U.K. The annual report from Tel Aviv University said the violence is part of a spike following Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel and Israel’s war in Gaza that followed. (PBS News Hour)
The Justice Department asked a federal appeals court to throw out the seditious conspiracy convictions of a number of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, including founder Stewart Rhodes. They were convicted and sent to prison for their actions on January 6. The request was made in a filing signed by U.S. attorney Jeanine Pirro. Trump commuted the sentences of several of the group’s leaders as part of his broad clemency from more than 1,500 defendants charged in the attack. This would go a step further, erasing the convictions. (PBS News Hour)
In Gaza, health officials say Israeli strikes killed at least six people last Tuesday in separate attacks, including two children. In Gaza City, an Israeli missile struck a police vehicle, setting it ablaze. Emergency workers say an officer is among the dead, as well as a 3-year-old boy. Israel's military has yet to comment on the strikes. Health officials in Gaza say around 750 Palestinians have been killed since a fragile cease-fire took effect last October. Israel says Hamas militants have killed at least four Israeli soldiers during that same period. (PBS News Hour)
The leaders of Ukraine and Germany say they’re working together on plans to develop drones and other defense systems, as Kyiv seeks support for its ongoing war with Russia. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made the announcement during Zelenskyy’s visit to Berlin last week. Germany’s leader said the cooperation is, as he put it, a very clear signal to Russia of Berlin’s efforts to defend Ukraine. Merz also addressed the need for Europe to be involved in any peace process between Ukraine and Russia. (PBS News Hour)
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette will be able to continue publishing after a nonprofit journalism group stepped in to buy the newspaper. The Post-Gazette was due to shut down in May after more than two centuries in business. Its closure would have made Pittsburgh one of the largest metropolitan areas without a major newspaper. The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism said it will buy the paper and run it as a nonprofit. It’s a rare bit of good news for an industry that’s been marked by consolidation and closures. (PBS News Hour)
Sudan entered its fourth year of war last week, with millions facing the threat of ongoing violence and famine. In Eastern Sudan, health workers are reporting a spike in malnourished children since the fighting started. A U.N.-backed group has warned that some 800,000 people will suffer from severe acute malnutrition across Sudan this year. Meantime, at an aid conference in Berlin, European countries pledged more than $1.5 billion in humanitarian aid. The war between Sudan's military and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, or RSF, erupted in April of 2023. Since then, officials say around 59,000 people have been killed and at least 13 million have been displaced. (PBS News Hour)
Major League Baseball is celebrating Jackie Robinson Day. The annual event marks the day back in 1947 when Robinson broke the sports color barrier. This year, the MLB rolled out a splashy campaign in his honor. And across the league, players, coaches, and umpires are wearing his iconic number 42 on their jerseys during games. (PBS News Hour)
To discuss the global stakes of the impasse in the Strait of Hormuz and its impact on deepening humanitarian crises, Geoff Bennett spoke with Jorge Moreira da Silva, the executive director of the UN’s Office for Project Services and head of the UN task force on the strait. The increase prices for fertilizer caused by the war could worsen hunger across the world. (PBS News Hour)
In his second administration, President Trump’s family members, including his son-in-law Jared Kushner, and sons Eric and Don Jr., are expanding their business ventures, earning hundreds of millions of dollars and prompting fresh concerns about influence peddling and conflicts of interest. PBS included an extended segment about the many problematic business relationships within the Trump admin. (PBS News Hour)
Russia launched its deadliest attack on Ukraine last Thursday, killing at least 16 people. More than 100 people were injured. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it was in retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on targets inside Russia. It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been visiting European nations seeking more air defense systems to block these attacks. (PBS News Hour)
The Senate voted last week to lift a federal ban on mining upstream from Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The Republican-led measure now goes to the president for his signature. It’s a major win for a Chilean company which wants to mine nickel and copper from forests near the U.S.-Canada border. Environmentalists warn it will contaminate the ecosystem of lakes and bogs, one beloved by Minnesotans and one Native American tribes rely on for fishing and rice harvesting. The mining project still needs state permits and could face court challenges before construction begins. (PBS News Hour)
At a moment when there's a lot of political attention around questions of affordability, rising health care costs are a growing concern for many Americans. That's especially true for those who are worried about being able to afford insurance premiums after an expansion of subsidies for the Affordable Care Act expired. But they're not the only ones struggling with this. PBS spoke to several people around the country who are struggling to pay for their health insurance. The network also spoke with an expert on the insurance industry from the Kaiser Family Foundation. (PBS News Hour)
French officials say an 85-year-old widow of an American military veteran has returned home after being held in U.S. immigration custody for more than two weeks. Marie-Therese Ross’ husband died unexpectedly after they were married last year, and she had overstayed her visa. France’s foreign minister announced her return, while also denouncing ICE’s approach. Her release comes a day after ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons said he will step down at the end of May. During his tenure, Lyons played a key role in carrying out President Trump's immigration crackdown. That included a number of high-profile enforcement actions, as well as the deaths of Americans Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. His replacement has yet to be announced. (PBS News Hour)