The cable news networks are all over Tuesday’s bombshell New York Times report that President Donald Trump pressured FBI Director James Comey to drop the agency’s investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s contacts with Russia. Well, with one exception: Fox News. Prime-time host Tucker Carlson has downplayed the news with graphics about “Russia Hysteria” and “Liberals in Meltdown Mode.”
“The world is a very complicated place,” Carlson assured his viewers, according to Mediaite. “Washington especially. What you think is happening often really isn’t happening.” He later pivoted to segments on safer subjects for the Fox audience:
Tucker Carlson screaming about Penn Station bathrooms to avoid talking about Trump's Russia ties. I know this sounds fake. It's not. Enjoy. pic.twitter.com/Nlj1SPHen7
— Carlos Maza (@gaywonk) May 17, 2017
Meanwhile on state media @TuckerCarlson. 😹😹😹 pic.twitter.com/bTV1Tp8ysz
— Clara Jeffery (@ClaraJeffery) May 17, 2017
More real news from Tucker Carlson pic.twitter.com/lCrZhZtNTT
— Nathan McDermott (@natemcdermott) May 17, 2017
Things weren’t much better on Fox and Friends on Wednesday morning.
Fox and Friends talking about the important news this morning, the cancellation of Tim Allen's sitcom
— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) May 17, 2017
Fox’s news division is reporting on the Comey story—“It’s a big story and I think it’s a legitimate story to cover,” Chris Wallace said on Sunday—but its personalities drive the network’s coverage, determining how viewers think about developments. I’ve long argued that liberals should root for the real journalists at Fox, who have the power to tell the truth about Trump to a conservative audience. Thus far, they aren’t breaking through.