How to Ignore Two Mass Shootings While Obsessing about Old Classified Documents.
A condensed overview of 15 hours of Fox News for the week ending 1/29/23
A typical Fox viewer might think that President Biden’s classified document scandal is the crime of the century that is part of a not-so-secret plot by scheming Democrats to remove an old senile blathering idiot and replace him with a younger, sharper, Democrat with a gleaming smile and a glorious head of hair.
This past week Biden’s assumed replacement was California governor Gavin Newsom, the week prior it was Pete Buttigieg the man that according to Fox only has a job because he’s gay.
The classified document story continued to dominate the network’s coverage last week even though the only new development is that former Vice President Mike Pence also discovered he accidentally left the White House with classified material.
Residents in a mostly Asian area of California experienced two brutal mass shootings last week but most Fox viewers would have no idea either event happened. The network did what it always does when a story doesn’t fit their point of view - they ignored it.
The network also neglected to tell their viewers about increasing violence in Israel-Palestine, massive flooding in New Zealand or that four more members of the Oath Keepers were convicted of seditious conspiracy for their role in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th.
This newsletter only covers the stories on Fox from Monday through Thursday of last week as Friday was dominated by the release of body cam footage that showed the police killing of Tyre Nichols and the break-in and attack of Paul Pelosi, the husband of the former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
I dedicated a newsletter and podcast to all of the primetime coverage of both events.
Shows I covered last week
Fox & Friends - the first hour
The Five
The Ingraham Angle
Fox Suddenly Acknowledges an Obama Executive Order.
Since the news that classified documents were found in a locked closet at a think tank and then in various locations on Biden’s properties, Fox News has promoted the story as a career-ending scandal.
Last week the network’s fever-pitched hysteria about the documents hit a bit of a speed bump when similar material was found by former Vice President Mike Pence.
For two solid weeks several Fox News hosts insisted that in no uncertain circumstances could a Vice President declassify documents. Greg Jarrett, an attorney and legal analyst for the network was adamant that Biden could not declassify documents.
“I think President Biden is more at criminal risk here because Trump had the ability to declassify. You know, Trump had the unfettered discretion and authority to declassify. The vice president doesn't have that. Yes, I know. The New York Times and CNN have cited an Obama executive order giving the authority to Biden that was null and void the moment Obama signed it. Because, as you know, professor, a president cannot unilaterally modify or alter or expand a constitutionally given power.” said Jarrett.
The day the news broke that Pence was in a similar predicament the network pivoted on a dime. To share this bold proclamation they chose an interesting vessel - “Fox & Friends” long-time co-host, Brian Kilmeade.
“Now, the vice since 2009, a vice president can declassify. So Vice President Biden could declassify. Vice President Pence could be classified, declassified. You just can't take it,” said Kilmeade.
The executive order that Kilmeade is referring to was written by then President Barack Obama - Executive Order 13526 - Classified National Security Information. It gives the Vice President the same power as a President to declassify documents. There is no evidence that Pres. Biden declassified the material found at his properties but there’s also no evidence that former President Trump did either.
Here’s How Brian Kilmeade Reacted to a Mass Shooting
Kilimeade had another startling moment when he causally brought up a mass shooting.
After a brief one-minute segment about the shooting, Ainsley Earhardt shared some additional information about the shooter.
“There were also reports in L.A. Times that he had gone to. There were two police sources, law enforcement sources that had gone to the police department and said his family was trying to poison him recently,” said Earhardt.
Kilmeade’s response was troubling to say the least.
“Right. Right. Here's the amazing thing. When when people knew almost nothing. Right away, it's guns, bigotry and white supremacy. No one knew anything about the case except for ten, ten shot. And all of a sudden, everyone just goes to the knee jerk reaction. I just find that amazing. A lot of reaction on social media,” said Kilmeade.
It was somehow more important to Kilmeade that anyone might suspect that the attacks were racially motivated since all of the victims were Asian. Hate crimes against Asian Americans rose 339% from 2020 to 2021 in part due to misinformation about the COVID-19 virus.
Jessica Tarlov Manages to get out Some Points about Trump
During a discussion on “The Five” that was mostly just criticism of President Biden, Jessica Tarlov, the liberal voice on the show managed to get out some information about former President Trump and the national debt.
Judge Jeanine Pirro turned to Tarlov and seemed to challenge her to defend Biden’s terrible track record.
“And Joe Biden go on the biggest spending spree in American history,” said Pirro.
Tarlov responded.
“Now, Donald Trump actually spent a lot more than him. So Donald Trump is personally responsible as the president for about 30% of the national debt. And I believe Joe Biden's brought it down by $1.4 trillion since he's been in office. So even money, I mean the deficit. Yes, but just slightly. You always ask the question. I answered it, said Tarlov.
As the rest of the cast tried to shout over her Tarlov persisted.
“Donald Trump is responsible for more of the national debt than Joe Biden is. Period. End of story. Those are what the numbers say. We also had a good jobs report today or a good economic report and Brian you spoke about it this morning on “Fox and Friends,” 2.9%, fourth quarter growth, 2.1% increase in consumer spending. Those are good indicators when people are talking about all the layoffs, the layoffs are in one sector in tech.
And basically they're right-sizing the fact that they over hired in 2021 and 2022. So they're going back to the mean there. They paid people way too much. Give people big, fancy titles. They couldn't afford to do that. So I'm not for calling everybody a MAGA Republican.
I know that was part of what he was talking about today, but he does have an economic record to run on and he does have the fact that you have important representatives, so much so that people thought that he could be speaker or this Kevin Hern, who said we have to make these we have to make hard decisions about what's going on with Social Security and Medicare. And he's part of a conference of 160 conservative Republicans who have said that they want to look at changing the retirement age.
That's something that Nancy Mace, for instance, a Republican, said is absolute nonstarter. Nonstarter. McCarthy said that as well. But get your caucus in line if you don't want Democrats talking about the fact that there are people in your conference who are important to you, by the way, saying that we should raise the retirement age. People are going to pay attention to it and they're going to vote accordingly,” said Tarlov.
Clutch Your Pearls - How dare you Criticize Fox News!
Fox personalities have short memories and selective outrage. If an anchor on another network makes even a slight gaffe Fox News will play the clip on a loop on several programs. They call other networks - fake news, propaganda, Marxist indoctrination and worse.
If someone dares to even mildly criticize Fox News its an attack on free speech, the free press and democracy as we know.
Despite Fox hosts repeatedly referring to migrants as invaders and likening our Southern border to a war zone Laura Ingraham was incensed that anyone would dare label her beloved media empire as xenophobic. Xenophobia being the fear and hatred of immigrants.
When someone like Gavin Newom does such a thing, it’s basically a sin against God himself.
“He was gaslighting the first. Attacking the free press. Well, the one network that consistently hold him accountable. Telling an ABC affiliate in California that it's a disgrace what we say at Fox every night. He said there's xenophobia, there's racial priming, whatever. That is what they've done to perpetuate crime and violence in this country. What xenophobia? Racial priming,” asked Ingraham.
When Fox Guests Go Rogue
Every now and then a guest on Fox News doesn’t follow the narrative that is expected of them. Last week Steve Doocy invited on Francisco Marte, President of the Bodega and Small Business Assoc. to talk about crime in New York City.
Doocy eventually asked Marte about migrants.
“Absolutely. Francisco. You know, we have been covering the fact that there are close to 40,000 migrants have been shipped to New York City, bused in. Are the migrants a problem for your stores,” asked Doocy.
Without hesitation Marte answered.
“No. No, we wouldn't be having a problem with the immigrant,” said Marte.
Stories Fox News Ignored
Every week I compare 15 hours of Fox News programming to five hours of the PBS NewsHour. The following is a list of stories that PBS covered that Fox News did not.
Last Thursday was the deadliest day in the occupied West Bank for two decades. Israeli forces raided Jenin, killed 9 people and wounded several others. The Palestinian authority responded by cutting security coordination with Israel. Israel defended its actions saying it was an attempt to apprehend a “terror squad belonging to the Islamic Jihad terror organization.”
On Friday immediately following the West Bank attack a 21-year-old Palestinian gunman killed seven Israelis outside of a synagogue in East Jerusalem. The gunman was killed by police.
A farmworker killed seven people at two Half Moon Bay mushroom farms. The shooter Chunli Zhao, was a former employee at one farm and a current employee at the other farm. He was motivated to kill over a $100 repair bill of a forklift. Zhao was captured by police and remains in custody.
PBS combined the Monterey Park, Half Moon Bay and another mass shooting into one larger segment about gun violence in America. The shows I surveyed on Fox last week did include a short one minute segment about Monterey Park for a total 0.18% of airtime.
Washington State legislators revealed a plan to form a domestic violence extremism commission that would take both a civil engagement and a public health approach.
Charlie McGonigal, a former FBI agent, was arrested last week over his ties to a Russian oligarch, Oleg Deripaska. McGonigal is charged with violating U.S. sanctions by attempting to take Deripaska off the sanctions list. McGonical is also charged with taking bribes and money laundering.
The FDA made changes that would ease restrictions for gay and bisexual men to donate blood. Restrictions were put in place during the AIDS crisis. All blood regardless of the donor is screened for HIV and other diseases.
On the shows I covered last week I did not see any segment dedicated to the International Holocaust Remembrance Day which was also the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camps.
The Secret Service just released a study on mass shooters. The study analyzed 173 mass shootings from 2016-2020. Some highlights from the report - 96% of the attackers were male, 57% were white and 34% were Black. Nearly all the attackers experienced "at least one significant stressor" within five years of the attack, most of which were issues with family and romantic relationships.
The Justice Department sued Google for monopolizing digital advertising spaces a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
The United Nations released a report that forecasted a drop in global economic growth. The slower economic forecast is due to a rise in interest rates and inflation.
Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand, has been hit with flooding due to record breaking rainfalls.
Rupert Murdoch backtracked on his plan to merge News Corp. with the Fox Corporation. The companies split 10 years ago. Murdoch is the founder of Fox News.
The Justice Department announced new arrests in a Iranian based plot to assassinate, Masih Alinejad, a U.S. based Iranian journalist and human rights activist.
American skier, Mikaela Sihiffrin, earned her 85th World Cup win and could tie or beat the Alpine skiing World Cup record before the competition is complete. She’s on track to be one of the greatest women skiers in history.
Four more members of the Oath Keepers were convicted of seditious conspiracy last week for their role in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th.
The U.S. trial of Genaro Garcia Luna, a former top security official in Mexico began last week. Luna is facing charges related to receiving millions in bribes from drug cartels and helping them evade authorities.
Patrick Crusius will plead guilty to shooting and killing 23 people in a racially motivated attack at an El Paso Walmart in August 2019.
Amazon has plans to expand its healthcare services via a prescription drug subscription service.
Political protests have continued in Peru over the ousted former President Pedro Castillo who tried to dissolve the congress when he was facing impeachment. Forty-seven people have been killed in clashes with security forces in the ensuing protests that have stretched on for over seven weeks.
The number of migrants illegally entering the U.S. from Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Haiti have dropped dramatically due to border enforcement measures enacted by the Biden administration.
Last Tuesday the New York Stock Exchange was temporarily shutdown due to technical glitches before resuming regular trading at 9:50 a.m. EST.
Pope Francis clarified his statements about homosexuality and sin, Francis made the comments in an interview last Tuesday with The Associated Press, in which he declared that laws criminalizing homosexuality were “unjust” and that “being homosexual is not a crime.”
The NewsHour also included another extended segment on their series about the crisis of mental health among American youth.
By the Numbers
The 5th category from last week ‘Gun violence in America’ was in direct response to the mass shootings in California last week. The network also covered the the mass shooting in Half Moon Bay.
Coming up…
This week I’ll be covering the first hour of “Fox & Friends,” “The Five,” and “Jesse Watters Primetime,” I might do another newsletter about the reaction I received today on a popular video I posted about the oil and gas industry in the U.S.. It depends on how much time I have this week.