Fox backstabs Donald Trump again!
Fox News has caused quite a stir in the conservative world and provided coverage of a noteworthy moment from 2020 involving then-President Donald Trump and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. During the Black Lives Matter protests in Minnesota, Trump publicly commended Walz for his response to the situation. Despite this, Fox News has still covered the praise.
In contrast, Fox News has been vocal in its criticism of Walz’s handling of the protests, with even Trump’s former vice presidential pick, JD Vance, joining in the attacks. Nevertheless, a 2020 phone call recorded by ABC News reveals Trump’s high regard for Walz’s leadership during the crisis. On June 1, 2020, Trump referred to Walz as an “excellent guy” and expressed his full support for how Walz managed the situation, describing his actions as exemplary and suggesting other governors should follow his lead.
Trump’s enthusiastic endorsement of Walz’s approach was clear when he told a group of governors, “I know Walz is on the call, and we talked, and I agree with the way he took care of it in the last few days.” He praised Walz for his effective response, likening it to knocking down bowling pins with his decisiveness.
From August 7 to August 11, Fox News mentioned Trump’s comments five times, providing several minutes of coverage. They aired the audio of Trump’s praise which works against the interest of Republican voters. Coverage on Fox’s “America’s Newsroom” included a mention of the praise alongside the 2024 Trump campaign’s attempts to downplay it. On “The Five,” Democratic commentator Jessica Tarlov briefly noted the audio.
In contrast, MSNBC has highlighted the contradiction in GOP attacks on Walz when Trump himself praised his handling of the protests. Radio host Zerlina Maxwell pointed out the weakness in such attacks, noting that they become easily refutable when the party’s leader had previously offered strong support.
WATCH:
Unearthed audio: Trump tells Tim Walz in 2020 he is “very happy” with his handling of George Floyd protests: “I fully agree with the way he handled it… [Tim Walz is an] excellent guy”
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 7, 2024
(Trump is now trying to criticize Walz over the same issue) pic.twitter.com/5Ii1EhBZo4