Here are my thoughts on yesterday’s news that Rupert Murdoch, chairman of the conservative media empire that owns Fox News, acknowledged in a deposition that several hosts for his networks promoted the false narrative that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald J. Trump. Murdoch said that he could have stopped them, but didn’t. I discuss how Fox News' propaganda operation led to the insurrection on January 6th and the destructive effect it has had on our democracy:
I am so glad I’m a subscriber to Steve’s writing and commentary. It is prescient, unvarnished, and appropriately scathing. As a lifelong Democrat, it is interesting to me that it is two Republicans - Steve Schmidt and Jennifer Rubin at WAPO- who are doing the best, most prolific writing to inform us of this continued and relentless threat to our democracy. I thank them both, and Steve in particular, for their constant warning to protect our democracy.
Very well said! Has anyone ever tried reasoning with a Fox viewer? It's a complete waste of time. The cake is baked, and there's not much we reality-fans can do.
I am a frequent business traveler, and will not return to a lodging property that displays Fox in common spaces. That gesture doesn't mean a thing to reduce the Murdoch-empire bottom line, but it does help keep my blood pressure in check.
How ironic that an immigrant welcomed to the shores of the United States of America realized his "American dream" by doing more to rip this country apart than just about anyone in the history of our country.
If anyone needs to be deported and "go back where they came from," it's certainly not the migrant workers who toil for long hours to pick the food we eat. It's this execrable excuse for a human being.
Steve, I agree with every point you make, in every cell of my body. The talk about this Fox News horror should be every bit as passionate and relentless and naming-the-evil as yours is here. We've been too polite for too long. Last night, Lawrence O"Donnell gave an impassioned soliloquy on the harm Fox News has wrought, making the point that ALL they care about is money, so money is the only way to hurt them. He hoped Dominion would win big. Me too, and hoping also that .. .Ashley Babbitt's parents sue them, and the relatives of Brian Sicknick and many ... so many, right?, whose lives were upended due to their lies. How, though, to get this news to Fox viewers? I am wishing someone who worked at Fox was as brave as that Russian woman who walked behind the state TV anchor with that sign about how they were lying. Anyone?
A couple thoughts always come to mind lately regarding Fox, which I think is the most dangerous entity in the USA.
1. Where is the FCC? Why isn't their broadcast license being pulled? Is that a possibility?
2. No one in "normal" media ever brings up the idea that one of the reasons Fox and Republicans might not want to go up against the lies is that those viewers are HEAVILY armed.
Make him pay, along with his rotten son and propagandists masquerading as newscaaters. I want them to hurt. Put them out of business. They f*cking ruined our country so they could have nicer kitchens in their multiple mansions."The love of money is the root of all evil." It's in the Bible. The Fox business model is deadly. Maria Bartinomo is married to a billionaire for Pete's sake. Shame on all of them and let them tremble in their luxurious, ostentacious homes as this unfolds. You are right on, Steve, in your description of Murdoch. You exposed him for what he is and what he's done to all of us, along with the many other millions if victims around the world.
Steve absolutely nailed this one regarding the cesspool of lies called Fox News. We as a government and a society made a mistake, in my opinion, when we allowed Fox to be called and treated as news. Fox is not a news network. Fox is nothing more than an electronic supermarket op-ed tabloid full of lies, rumors, conspiracies, propaganda , and innuendo attempting to disguise itself as a legitimate news outlet. Instead, it is nothing more than a sham media propaganda network for the radicalized MAGA Republican Party of Trump.
Rupert Murdoch and his cast of malignant minions have perpetrated the highest form of fraud and thus treason upon the government and people of the United States. Murdoch and his sons know no shame which makes them so dangerous to American democracy. And because they have no shame, they shelter their multi-billion dollar tabloid operation behind the First Amendment and all the other protections our Constitution affords them. Their predation and prostitution has done irreparable harm to our democracy. They are all a bunch of grifters and bamboozlers who deserve to be sued.
Thank you, Steve. It helps to hear your clear disgust for this remorseless man. So glad that he is caught lying in the commerce arena, but your feature on Nazi totalitarianism pointed out the crushing of the spirit which is happening to everyday people. Will the courts ever be able to put a price on this? Yet the Murdock attack on our humanity has not moved the needle of justice because the network hides behind “ Freedom of Speech” or poses as journalism. All your descriptors are spot on.
Time for a GoFundMe to raise $$ for legal assistance for filing a civil lawsuit against News Corp on behalf of Americans for fraud against their democracy. A judicial attack is the cleanest in avoiding the political fecklessness that would (and likely does) attenuate any such efforts by the legislative or executive branch. Hit ‘em where we can with what we can.
So far, the indictment of Donald Trump has eluded us. I’m not holding my breath to see ANY accountability from FOX NEWS. I wholeheartedly agree with your essay Steven; I’m just not optimistic about our Justice Department. FOX will hide behind the First Amendment through and through. Although they are the “FOX NEWS CHANNEL”, - and that in and of itself IS indeed a fraudulent claim, they will slither behind the first amendment because they’re “commentators” (i.e. Carlson, Hannity and Ingrahm) who are NOT proclaimed NEWScasters, they are ‘talk-show hosts’ who render “opinion”; true or false. As someone very familiar with the media industry Steven, perhaps you can shed some light on how justice may be served here? I loved what happened to Alex Jones, - and I would love nothing more than to see the entire lot at FOX HEAVILY punished. Dominion is suing because of specific damages to their company’s reputation. How will this play out so that true justice is served for lies told to the American people, - and what rectifications/ramifications, if any, might we expect? January 6th, electoral-count fraud, entire election laws ‘revamped’, unjust victimization of election workers, undermining of the entire election PROCESS, - not to mention the multitudes of personal relationships and holiday dinners that have been spoiled because of Trump’s big lie, - and FOX, Trump’s number one accomplice should be held responsible. There is no punishment great enough for all the damage that has been done to our country.
Perhaps Jim Jordan’s new committee will investigate Fox’s role into the attempted coup and then look into why the Saudi’s gave Jared Kushner $2 billion for a hedge fund - for which he had zero qualifications to run - on January 21. Never mind…too busy investigating Hunter’s laptop.
Only through Social Media have I kept up with Fox News’s lies. Trash TV! I have sat and watched, wishing I could retaliate ! Only through the Voting Box could we dispose of these lying Politicians. These people on Fox should go straight to jail, lying for, the lying Politicians! I simmer, waiting for the only tool left. The Law. Come on! Let’s throw them in the drink!
I am so glad I’m a subscriber to Steve’s writing and commentary. It is prescient, unvarnished, and appropriately scathing. As a lifelong Democrat, it is interesting to me that it is two Republicans - Steve Schmidt and Jennifer Rubin at WAPO- who are doing the best, most prolific writing to inform us of this continued and relentless threat to our democracy. I thank them both, and Steve in particular, for their constant warning to protect our democracy.
Shame on Fox News, Murdoch should lose his citizenship & FCC license! Hateful man, all about $
Very well said! Has anyone ever tried reasoning with a Fox viewer? It's a complete waste of time. The cake is baked, and there's not much we reality-fans can do.
I am a frequent business traveler, and will not return to a lodging property that displays Fox in common spaces. That gesture doesn't mean a thing to reduce the Murdoch-empire bottom line, but it does help keep my blood pressure in check.
How ironic that an immigrant welcomed to the shores of the United States of America realized his "American dream" by doing more to rip this country apart than just about anyone in the history of our country.
If anyone needs to be deported and "go back where they came from," it's certainly not the migrant workers who toil for long hours to pick the food we eat. It's this execrable excuse for a human being.
Steve, I agree with every point you make, in every cell of my body. The talk about this Fox News horror should be every bit as passionate and relentless and naming-the-evil as yours is here. We've been too polite for too long. Last night, Lawrence O"Donnell gave an impassioned soliloquy on the harm Fox News has wrought, making the point that ALL they care about is money, so money is the only way to hurt them. He hoped Dominion would win big. Me too, and hoping also that .. .Ashley Babbitt's parents sue them, and the relatives of Brian Sicknick and many ... so many, right?, whose lives were upended due to their lies. How, though, to get this news to Fox viewers? I am wishing someone who worked at Fox was as brave as that Russian woman who walked behind the state TV anchor with that sign about how they were lying. Anyone?
A couple thoughts always come to mind lately regarding Fox, which I think is the most dangerous entity in the USA.
1. Where is the FCC? Why isn't their broadcast license being pulled? Is that a possibility?
2. No one in "normal" media ever brings up the idea that one of the reasons Fox and Republicans might not want to go up against the lies is that those viewers are HEAVILY armed.
Just my two cents.
Bravo Steve 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼!!!
Make him pay, along with his rotten son and propagandists masquerading as newscaaters. I want them to hurt. Put them out of business. They f*cking ruined our country so they could have nicer kitchens in their multiple mansions."The love of money is the root of all evil." It's in the Bible. The Fox business model is deadly. Maria Bartinomo is married to a billionaire for Pete's sake. Shame on all of them and let them tremble in their luxurious, ostentacious homes as this unfolds. You are right on, Steve, in your description of Murdoch. You exposed him for what he is and what he's done to all of us, along with the many other millions if victims around the world.
Steve absolutely nailed this one regarding the cesspool of lies called Fox News. We as a government and a society made a mistake, in my opinion, when we allowed Fox to be called and treated as news. Fox is not a news network. Fox is nothing more than an electronic supermarket op-ed tabloid full of lies, rumors, conspiracies, propaganda , and innuendo attempting to disguise itself as a legitimate news outlet. Instead, it is nothing more than a sham media propaganda network for the radicalized MAGA Republican Party of Trump.
Rupert Murdoch and his cast of malignant minions have perpetrated the highest form of fraud and thus treason upon the government and people of the United States. Murdoch and his sons know no shame which makes them so dangerous to American democracy. And because they have no shame, they shelter their multi-billion dollar tabloid operation behind the First Amendment and all the other protections our Constitution affords them. Their predation and prostitution has done irreparable harm to our democracy. They are all a bunch of grifters and bamboozlers who deserve to be sued.
Thank you, Steve. It helps to hear your clear disgust for this remorseless man. So glad that he is caught lying in the commerce arena, but your feature on Nazi totalitarianism pointed out the crushing of the spirit which is happening to everyday people. Will the courts ever be able to put a price on this? Yet the Murdock attack on our humanity has not moved the needle of justice because the network hides behind “ Freedom of Speech” or poses as journalism. All your descriptors are spot on.
Time for a GoFundMe to raise $$ for legal assistance for filing a civil lawsuit against News Corp on behalf of Americans for fraud against their democracy. A judicial attack is the cleanest in avoiding the political fecklessness that would (and likely does) attenuate any such efforts by the legislative or executive branch. Hit ‘em where we can with what we can.
Always nice to know I wasn't crazy to consider them America's Greatest Enemy, but their reality is still enough to gag a maggot.
Saw your post on Youtube. Always Spot on.
So far, the indictment of Donald Trump has eluded us. I’m not holding my breath to see ANY accountability from FOX NEWS. I wholeheartedly agree with your essay Steven; I’m just not optimistic about our Justice Department. FOX will hide behind the First Amendment through and through. Although they are the “FOX NEWS CHANNEL”, - and that in and of itself IS indeed a fraudulent claim, they will slither behind the first amendment because they’re “commentators” (i.e. Carlson, Hannity and Ingrahm) who are NOT proclaimed NEWScasters, they are ‘talk-show hosts’ who render “opinion”; true or false. As someone very familiar with the media industry Steven, perhaps you can shed some light on how justice may be served here? I loved what happened to Alex Jones, - and I would love nothing more than to see the entire lot at FOX HEAVILY punished. Dominion is suing because of specific damages to their company’s reputation. How will this play out so that true justice is served for lies told to the American people, - and what rectifications/ramifications, if any, might we expect? January 6th, electoral-count fraud, entire election laws ‘revamped’, unjust victimization of election workers, undermining of the entire election PROCESS, - not to mention the multitudes of personal relationships and holiday dinners that have been spoiled because of Trump’s big lie, - and FOX, Trump’s number one accomplice should be held responsible. There is no punishment great enough for all the damage that has been done to our country.
Perhaps Jim Jordan’s new committee will investigate Fox’s role into the attempted coup and then look into why the Saudi’s gave Jared Kushner $2 billion for a hedge fund - for which he had zero qualifications to run - on January 21. Never mind…too busy investigating Hunter’s laptop.
Only through Social Media have I kept up with Fox News’s lies. Trash TV! I have sat and watched, wishing I could retaliate ! Only through the Voting Box could we dispose of these lying Politicians. These people on Fox should go straight to jail, lying for, the lying Politicians! I simmer, waiting for the only tool left. The Law. Come on! Let’s throw them in the drink!