If you ever doubted that Rupert Murdoch has direct control of the content on Fox News, these last few weeks should remove all doubt. Fox is threatening Casey DeSantis’s relationship with Ron. Soon Fox will be sending Ron flowers, pretty anchors, and interviews over candle-lit dinners and gorgeous hotel rooms. Fox is all-in for DeSantis and no one more so than previous Trump lover Brian Kilmeade. Indeed, Kilmeade is now Trump’s biggest critic while playing catch, like Field Of Dreams, with DeSantis.
Except, when Kilmeade is criticizing Trump, he is correct. He falls back to America First idiocy/danger when he talks DeSantis. This morning, Kilmeade absolutely ripped Trump for ionizing the January 6th rioters during Trump’s Waco rally. These are the people still in prison because they’re too dangerous, given their violent attack on the police.
“I think for President Trump to spend 80% of his time complaining about court cases instead of just looking at his own record and what he would have done.
“And let me tell you what I would have done to SBG. Let me tell you what I would have done over into Syria if they if we our guys got hit for the 74th time and twice in two days.”
Kilmeade was suggesting that Trump refuses to discuss the issues voters care about. Voters don’t particularly care about threats to prosecutors or his persecution. Indeed, I wrote a story yesterday elsewhere that highlighted that the crowds went silent when Trump attacked DeSantis.
“He does that, or other candidates do that, they’re going to be unbelievably successful because that’s going to be the conversation at the kitchen table. ”
“Instead, the United States former president opened up with January Six video which is insane!”
True. It is also going to be used as evidence in his indictment.
“He should be running from that, period. I don’t care his point of view, that is not a good thing for him. I thought that was absolutely awful. Even though he is winning in the polls, that will not help.”
If Rupert Murdoch did not decide to dump Trump overboard, had not decided that he could not support Trump, Kilmeade would likely not be attacking Trump so harshly… though he might have the same thoughts.
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[email protected], @JasonMiciak, SUBSTACK: TRUMP’S PROMISES TO INSTILL FASCISM ARE BRUTALLY HONEST
War of the Assholes. Bring it on.
Since when has Syria ever been a “kitchen table issue”? Kilmeade is as off kilter as the shit gibbon.
Kilmeade is part of the morning show team. Important to be sure as plenty of Fox Regulars tune in to the couch crew, and remember, Trump was once a regular call-in guest they were delighted to put on the air for as long as he wanted to bloviate. So Kilmeade’s being so direct is significant – and I agree with anyone who believes this was approved if not instigated by Murdoch himself.
Still, I have to respectfully disagree with your headline. Stuff that’s shown up in print outlets owned by Murdoch have been trial balloons. As was Ingraham’s ever so slight “questioning’ whether it was time to move past Trump. On a podcast but not on prime time TV. No, this was a warning shot across the bow of the SS (steamy shit) Trump-tanic. Fox won’t have “gone nuclear” unless/until one or more of the three evening hosts talks like this during their 3-hour White Power Hour weekday evening load of crap. And supposedly Hannity will be having Trump on his show tonight. I wonder if the “fluffing” will take place in the Green Room or even on the set just prior to going on the air or if Trump will demand Hannity debase himself in prime time and do it on the air? (Trump surely knows about those “nasty” things Hannity wrote in emails and he IS going to demand public humiliation of ole Sean as combination penance and loyalty oath. Maybe he’ll demand Hannity’s wife be there and cuckold Sean right there on the air!
Hannity, and for that matter Carlson too know damn well Murdoch wants Trump in the rearview mirror and are openly defying him. Carlson has been doing so regularly for a while now but clearly, even after Trump’s Waco rally Hannity is putting him on Fox’s air. He’s chosen his side and along with Carlson DARING Murdoch to do something about it.
So from where I sit, the “nuke(s)” would be forcing the evening hosts to trash Trump on Fox during those three hours of prime time. At least one of them in addition to Ingraham who would likely be forced out front. And firing Hannity and Carlson if they refuse. Buying out their contracts would be tip money for Murdoch.
For what it’s worth, if Trump does demand “Hannity’s wife . . . and cuckold Sean right there on the air,” it’s going to be tough. Hannity–as far as I can tell–is currently single. He divorced his wife, Jill Rhodes, back in 2019 and, while he’s rumored to be dating his co-worker Ainsley Earhardt, their relationship is not definite (and she’s denied they’re “officially” dating).
No, I think if Trump really wants to humiliate Hannity, I think it’s going to be more along the lines of Divine’s legendarily infamous scene from “Pink Flamingos.” If he actually had the brains to think about it, he’d say, “Well Sean, since you’re so fond of spewing shit about me on the air, I’m sure you’ll enjoy eating some of that shit” and then handing Sean a nice steaming bowl of dog or cow poo.