President Trump lashed out at Fox News Tuesday for hosting what he described as a “strange” Town Hall event with “Crazy Bernie” Sanders.
It was a rare public scolding for the lone network in mainstream media that tries to consistently produce fair and balanced panels for their programming.
But it was a necessary one, as Fox and the amply pro-Bernie crowd showed the network was desperately trying to placate the Democrat party by coddling Sanders, following the DNC’s decision to ban them from hosting any 2020 Democratic presidential primary debates.
Trump even blasted popular host Bret Baier for being “so smiley and nice” during the “weird” event.
So weird to watch Crazy Bernie on @FoxNews. Not surprisingly, @BretBaier and the “audience” was so smiley and nice. Very strange, and now we have @donnabrazile?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 16, 2019
Trump suggested a pattern by noting that former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile, a woman who, during the last presidential election, tried to rig debates in favor of Hillary Clinton, had joined the network.
In viewing Bernie’s town hall-style event, it amounted to little more than a campaign commercial for the Democrat frontrunner. The crowd cheered his every word, and lest they tempt a riot, the hosts were minimally combative.
Cheers for Medicare for All
Fox News viewers had to be surprised to see a crowd cheering a socialist program designed to allow a government takeover of Medicare. Yet, there it was.
“I want to ask the audience a question here,” Baier said. “How many are willing to transition to what the senator says, a government-run system?”
The stacked crowd created a false illusion that even Fox viewers support the platform by cheering wildly.
Bret Baier just polled the Bernie Town Hall audience who would be willing to switch to #MedicareForAll. It backfired spectacularly. pic.twitter.com/dQJ9gfQ137
— jordan (@JordanUhl) April 15, 2019
Some Fireworks
Baier and Martha MacCallum are some of the network’s top moderators, and there were some moments of combativeness with Sanders.
Nowhere was that more apparent than when MacCallum challenged the curmudgeonly senator to voluntarily pay his proposed “wealth tax” on the rich.
“So would you be willing to pay 52% on the money that you made? You can volunteer, you can send a check …” she quipped, adding “you suggested that that’s what everybody in your bracket should do.”
“Well, Martha, why don’t you give?” Sanders deflected. “You make more money than I do.”
“I didn’t suggest a wealth tax,” MacCallum shot back before Baier added, “and she’s not running for president.”
MacCallum: “So would you be willing to pay 52% on the money that you made? You can volunteer, you can send it back”
Bernie: “You can volunteer too…why don’t you give? You make more money than I do”
M: “I didn’t suggest a wealth tax”
Baier: “And she’s not running for POTUS” pic.twitter.com/zn4XrzJIXG
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) April 15, 2019
More Socialist Candidates Coming to Fox
Following Sanders appearance, reports surfaced that Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is in talks with Fox to host a similar style of meeting on the network.
Will the brass at Fox find a crowd that will wildly cheer his comments as well?
Buttigieg recently criticized President Trump and his supporters who want to ‘make America great again,’ saying it is a phrase designed to create tensions.
“It comes from people who think the only way to speak to communities like ours is through resentment and nostalgia,” Buttigieg said during his announcement speech.
“They’re selling an impossible promise of returning to a bygone era that was never as great as advertised to begin with.”
America never being great is a consistent theme with too many Democrats to count. But, we’re guessing Fox News viewers aren’t going to appreciate that kind of message. They are the only audience in mainstream media that truly believe in American greatness.
