Now he's even at war with Fox News

[bostonangler]

Trump unhinged: Now he's even at war with Fox News - Alicia Shepard

 

Alicia Shepard Published 11:50 a.m. ET Feb. 20, 2017 | Updated 3 hours ago

Chris Wallace and Shepard Smith stood up on behalf of journalists and the American people.

At Fox News in New York on Feb. 17, 2017.(Photo: Drew Angerer, Getty Images)

It’s no secret President Trump loves to loathe the mainstream press, as witnessed by a Friday tweet dismissing CNN, the “failing” New York Times, NBC News, ABC and CBS as “the FAKE NEWS media” and calling the press an “enemy of the American People!”

But Trump does have a soft spot for the morning show, Fox & Friends, the Fox network and its millions of loyal viewers.

At a presidential press conference Thursday — while mentioning “the fake news media” seven times — Trump singled out Fox & Friends as “very honorable people… It’s the most honest.” In an earlier tweet, slamming other cable channels as “unwatchable, he added “@foxandfriends is great!”

Why shouldn’t he like Fox? A new Pew Research Centersurvey of Trump voters taken in late November revealed that 4 in ten said Fox News was their main source for election coverage.

This mutual love affair makes it all the more impressive that two prominent, well-respected, veteran Fox News anchors – Chris Wallace and Shepard Smith — just took on the president, publicly rebuking him for his press attacks and falsehoods. Their words earned praise from media colleagues and Twitter tongue-lashings from Trump supporters.

On Sunday morning, Wallace said Trump’s Friday tweet calling the media an enemy of the public went too far. (Fox was not on the list.)

‘‘Look, we’re big boys. We criticize presidents,” Wallace told his colleagues on Fox & Friends. “They want to criticize us back, that’s fine. But when he said that the fake news media is not my enemy, it’s the enemy of the American people, I believe that crosses an important line.’’

Wallace knew he was going to rile viewers. But that didn’t hold him back.

 

‘‘And I know there are a lot of (Fox News) listeners out there who are going to reflexively take Donald Trump’s side on this,’’ said Wallace, who anchors Fox News Sunday and joined the network in 2003. ‘‘It’s a different thing when it’s a president — because if it’s a president you like trying to talk about the press being the enemy of the people, then it’s going to be a president you don’t like saying the same thing. And that’s very dangerous.’’

After Trump’s highly unusual White House press conference Feb. 16, Fox’s Shepard Smith had enough. The chief news anchor and managing editor of Fox’s breaking news division went on his own eight-minute rant about Trump’s falsehoods and refusal to answer questions.

“It’s sort of our job to let you know when people you have elected say things that are untrue,” said Smith, who joined Fox in 1996 and anchors Shepard Smith Reporting. “This president keeps telling untrue things. He does it every single time he’s in front of the microphone. It’s demonstrable.”

Smith was clearly annoyed that Trump said he got the biggest electoral win since Reagan. “He didn’t,” said Smith, flatly. “He’s said this repeatedly over and over again. And every time he says it, it’s not true.”

But what galled Smith was Trump dodging and deflecting press conference questions about Russia. Smith demanded on behalf of the American public that Trump answer inquiries about his prior and post-election association with Russia.

“One of the biggest questions that people asking questions have right now is what is this relationship with Russia?” said an exasperated Smith. “We don’t get a straight answer on this question which leads us to continue to ask the question.”

 

“It’s crazy what we are watching every day,” he continued. “It’s absolutely crazy. He keeps repeating ridiculous throwaway lines that are not true at all and sort of avoiding this issue of Russia as if we are some kind of fools for asking the questions. Really? Your opposition was hacked and the Russians were responsible for it and your people were on the phone with Russia on the same day it was happening and we are fools for asking these questions? No sir, we are not fools for asking this question and we demand to know the answer to this question. You owe this to the American people…. We have a right to know.”

As Wallace and Smith know well, journalists are not the enemy of the White House or the American people.

It’s their job to ask tough questions. Reporters would ask them regardless of whether a Republican or Democrat were in the White House. (Check with Bill Clinton on the Monica Lewinsky story.) It’s a journalist’s responsibility to hold public officials accountable.

A free and adversarial press plays a key role in a democracy and a necessary check on power. The president needs to hear this repeatedly.  If he is going to listen to anyone hit this point hard, it will be prominent anchors at Fox News.

So thank you, Chris Wallace and Shepard Smith, on behalf of thousands of journalists for standing up for the First Amendment and fighting back against a president who prefers to deflect and attack rather than answer valid questions.

Alicia Shepard is a veteran media writer and a former ombudsman for NPR. Follow her on Twitter @Ombudsman

[patrickgold]

BA,  who cares what the dishonest media think.  Looks who falling for the corrupted media.  Thought better of you BA, you're really sinking. 

President Trump is just asking that the media be truthful and ethical, but it seems that this simple moral value is far from their agenda.  Keep believing in the twisted "titles" of the news, the deceitful lies and fakeness of the what they print.  The enemy (media) has made its self known, beware of falling for their trap. 

Let the President do his job!!! 

[learning all i can]

Chris and Shepard, both are brown nose twits.  Wallace has been among the top elites for so long that common sense and what the American people want has become null and void.  He actually needs to be fired along with McCain and Graham hitting the same highway.  Shepard is still that "wanna be" that will never be.  Just my opinion, but if your gonna stick up for the other lying so called journalist instead of truth and the network that puts food on your table, then its probably time you find your next meal elsewhere.  They both would probably work out fine at CNN, NBC or any other network that has such disdain and hate in their hearts for OUR President. I don't agree with Trump on everything but HEY, I helped vote him in, he is my President and I take pleasure in watching this man do and carry out the promises he has made to us plus he doing the best job I can ever remember from another....Chris and Shepard need to blow and go somewhere they may be wanted.

barb

[Shabibilicious]

14 hours ago, patrickgold said:

BA,  who cares what the dishonest media think.  Looks who falling for the corrupted media.  Thought better of you BA, you're really sinking. 

President Trump is just asking that the media be truthful and ethical, but it seems that this simple moral value is far from their agenda.  Keep believing in the twisted "titles" of the news, the deceitful lies and fakeness of the what they print.  The enemy (media) has made its self known, beware of falling for their trap. 

Let the President do his job!!! 

For as long as humanity has existed people have bristled when their very existence is revealed to be a sham.  It happens, today's no different.  The forty percent of Trump supporters who eat, breath and sleep all things Fox News must feel terribly conflicted right now.  

GO RV, then BV

[nstoolman1]

1 hour ago, Shabibilicious said:

For as long as humanity has existed people have bristled when their very existence is revealed to be a sham.  It happens, today's no different.  The forty percent of Trump supporters who eat, breath and sleep all things Fox News must feel terribly conflicted right now.  

GO RV, then BV

Nope. Very at ease, thank you. 

[Shabibilicious]

2 minutes ago, nstoolman1 said:

Nope. Very at ease, thank you. 

Well, that's good then, nstoolman.....I myself think Chris Wallace and Shep Smith upped the "fair and balanced" claim of Fox News by ten fold.  

GO RV, then BV

[learning all i can]

45 minutes ago, Shabibilicious said:

Well, that's good then, nstoolman.....I myself think Chris Wallace and Shep Smith upped the "fair and balanced" claim of Fox News by ten fold.  

GO RV, then BV

Oh Shabs my little friend Shabs, I told you already I get a kick and a giggle out of your post ! Why must you actually make me laugh out loud?  All kidding aside, I still enjoy your savvy!

barb

Edited February 21, 2017 by learning all i can

[MyLadiesDaddy]

Shabbs and B/A I'm just curious here what do you two think you're going to accomplish? Do you actually believe that you're going to stop somebody from supporting Donald J Trump? And if you really don't believe that then the purpose of your posting like this would be only to create animosity amongst the boards. The sad part is as I've tried to show you both repeatedly all you're really doing is creating a stronger deeper and much harsher divide. Even if I still felt the way I did about Donald Trump I wouldn't know when to quit. Admittedly I would still make jabbs snide comments of my own like I did about Obama, but in the end it would just be less and less as I would realize and have to accept the fact that he is now the president and there is nothing anyone can do to change that. 

[Shabibilicious]

1 minute ago, ladyGrace'sDaddy said:

Shabbs and B/A I'm just curious here what do you two think you're going to accomplish? Do you actually believe that you're going to stop somebody from supporting Donald J Trump? And if you really don't believe that then the purpose of your posting like this would be only to create animosity amongst the boards. The sad part is as I've tried to show you both repeatedly all you're really doing is creating a stronger deeper and much harsher divide. Even if I still felt the way I did about Donald Trump I wouldn't know when to quit. Admittedly I would still make jabbs snide comments of my own like I did about Obama, but in the end it would just be less and less as I would realize and have to accept the fact that he is now the president and there is nothing anyone can do to change that. 

I'm accomplishing my right to express my opinion.....take it or leave it, brother.    Besides.....what good is a herd of sheep that doesn't truly understand the safety of being in said herd?  Consider me the wolf....you're welcome.  

GO RV, then BV 

[Shedagal]

59 minutes ago, Shabibilicious said:

Well, that's good then, nstoolman.....I myself think Chris Wallace and Shep Smith upped the "fair and balanced" claim of Fox News by ten fold.  

GO RV, then BV

I think it is probably no surprise to anyone that I am about as conservative as it gets.  But I did think about the "fair and balanced" in regard to Chris and Shep.  One of my favorite shows on Fox is "The Five" (when they don't talk all over each other), but it has always bothered me just a bit that they only have one liberal for four conservatives.  What's fair and balanced in that?  I do love the conservative views that are espoused and usually disagree with the liberal, but Juan and Bob are so quickly shot down that they might as well not be there.  JMHO

[patrickgold]

3 hours ago, Shabibilicious said:

For as long as humanity has existed people have bristled when their very existence is revealed to be a sham.  It happens, today's no different.  The forty percent of Trump supporters who eat, breath and sleep all things Fox News must feel terribly conflicted right now.  

GO RV, then BV

Nah!!! Fox news will bury itself with their failure to report what is accurate.  The 99% of President Trump's supporters couldn't careless what happens with FOX new. 

Edited February 21, 2017 by patrickgold

[Shabibilicious]

1 minute ago, Shedagal said:

I think it is probably no surprise to anyone that I am about as conservative as it gets.  But I did think about the "fair and balanced" in regard to Chris and Shep.  One of my favorite shows on Fox is "The Five" (when they don't talk all over each other), but it has always bothered me just a bit that they only have one liberal for four conservatives.  What's fair and balanced in that?  I do love the conservative views that are espoused and usually disagree with the liberal, but Juan and Bob are so quickly shot down that they might as well not be there.  JMHO

Thank you for your opinion, Shedagal.  

GO RV, then BV

[Shabibilicious]

2 minutes ago, patrickgold said:

Nah!!! Fox news will bury itself with their failure to report what is accurate.  The 99% of President Trump's supporterst couldn't careless what happens with FOX new. 

Got a link to your data, or is this one of those......."Trump Truths"?  

GO RV, then BV

[patrickgold]

Just now, Shabibilicious said:

Got a link to your data, or is this one of those......."Trump Truths"?  

GO RV, then BV

You first... got a link to your Data?!?

[Shabibilicious]

5 minutes ago, patrickgold said:

You first... got a link to your Data?!?

I do....it's in the fourth paragraph above in the actual posted article, which it appears you didn't read.  

GO RV, then BV

[Shabibilicious]

4 in 10 still equates to 40%, right?  

GO RV, then BV

[patrickgold]

So you think that just because Fox News is a conservative site that all viewers are in agreement with what the anchors report.  As well as the liberal networks, do you really think that their viewers agree with what they report.   I don't think the media even knows where to draw the lines, when it comes to ratings. 

[patrickgold]

1 minute ago, Shabibilicious said:

4 in 10 still equates to 40%, right?  

GO RV, then BV

[Shabibilicious]

2 minutes ago, patrickgold said:

So you think that just because Fox News is a conservative site that all viewers are in agreement with what the anchors report.  As well as the liberal networks, do you really think that their viewers agree with what they report.   I don't think the media even knows where to draw the lines, when it comes to ratings. 

Don't grasp, Pat.....let me get that straw for you.  Hahahaha.....nice effort though.  

GO RV, then BV