On Monday night, in a show in which CNN personalities took turns bashing Fox News, CNN host Don Lemon questioned why White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki should even bother allowing any Fox News correspondent to ask questions of her during a press briefing, saying, “Why? Why does Jen Psaki even continue to call in Fox in the briefing room? … They’ve been very courteous and I should say, you know, kind. Because if your network is promoting b.s. and lies about what is actually happening in the country, and helping to inspire and incite an insurrection, why — why should they even be able to take part in a legitimate press briefing, and legitimate journalism?”
Lemon hosted a panel that at various times included other CNN personalities including chief political analyst Gloria Borger, special correspondent Jamie Gangel, senior legal analyst Laura Coates, and political commentator S.E. Cupp.
Calling Fox a “propaganda network,” Lemon played a clip of Rep. Liz Cheney admitting “Multiple Fox News hosts knew that the president needed to act immediately,” adding that hosts Laura Ingraham, Brian Kilmeade, and Sean Hannity, as well as Donald Trump Jr. all urged Mark Meadows to tell former President Trump to ameliorate the situation.
Lemon raged, “He knew the truth. He knew it was no tourist visit, no peaceful protest. These were no patriots, don’t give me that, these are not patriots. That’s not what patriotism is. These are insurrectionists. A lot of them. This wasn’t Antifa, it wasn’t Black Lives Matter, we all knew the mob was doing that then president’s bidding.”
Stelter later chimed in, “These Fox stars set the stage for the attempt. … And they are the ones who promoted the big lie. … Ultimately, this is on the Murdochs. This should be deeply embarrassing for Fox News. It’s no wonder why journalists, most recently Chris Wallace, had decided to leave Fox News. He has been an exodus there for years. But the notion that people still take this network seriously, and act as if the content is reality based, well, these text messages should be another example that that is foolish.”
Cupp echoed, “What is clear as day, Fox News viewers, you have been had. You have been told that the people you are watching we’re telling you not only the truth, but what they believed in the heart of hearts. They believed it passionately. And instead, what this reveal is what I’ve always known is that they are snake oil salesman. … They never believed in any of the things they were saying. But they kept peddling Trump’s garbage to impressionable, rabid, and in some cases, violent and extremist viewers. To me, that is the very definition of selling your soul.”
“There are no journalists left, you know, for the most part at Fox, and it is no longer a journalism enterprise. It is entertainment and worse, propaganda,” Cupp snapped.
Stelter stated, “These men and women at Fox, they promoted the big lie. They helped cause this fire, and once it came out of control, they all of a sudden trying to call the file department to try to stop it.”
Lemon turned to Psaki at one point: “Why? Why does Jen Psaki even continue to call in Fox in the briefing room? … They’ve been very courteous and I should say, you know, kind. Because if your network is promoting B.S. and lies about what is actually happening in the country, and helping to inspire and incite an insurrection, why — why should they even be able to take part in a legitimate press briefing, and legitimate journalism?”
CNN’s @donlemon: "Why does Jen Psaki continue to call on Fox in the briefing room?”
"Why should they be able to take part in a legitimate press briefing and legitimate journalism?"
"Why did they even allow Fox to pretend in the briefing room they’re a real news organization?" pic.twitter.com/HEf06pesIT
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) December 14, 2021