An appalling moment, even by Fox News' standards

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     June 14, 2023 It's not exactly easy to top Donald Trump in terms of repulsive behavior. But Fox News achieved exactly that on Tuesday as the network aired the former president's post-arraignment remarks from his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf course. ["WANNABE DICTATOR SPEAKS AT THE WHITE HOUSE AFTER HAVING HIS POLITICAL RIVAL ARRESTED."]( Yep, that's the chyron that appeared during a split-screen broadcast of Trump's speech and President Joe Biden, who had been speaking at a reception at the White House. As my colleague Abigail Weinberg said in a [pitch-perfect post on the hideousness]( of that message: The moment was egregious on many levels, and not just because Biden is, despite [Fox’s best efforts](, a democratically elected leader whose powers are limited by the legislative and judicial branches. There is no evidence that Biden had anything to do with Trump’s arrest. Federal prosecutors brought evidence to a grand jury, which determined that there was enough evidence to support charges against Trump—standard procedure for federal cases. For a network with “News” in its title to broadcast an outright lie is appalling. But even more concerning is the hint of the type of tactics right-wing media are likely to deploy as the presidential race continues. Why dive into the complexities of a complicated indictment when you can paint it as a politically motivated hit and call it a day? I truly mean it when I say that not much about Trump, the conservative media, or the GOP shocks me anymore. But seeing that air on live television managed to do just that. Now, could this be the work of a rogue employee? Well, New York Times political reporter Ken Bensinger reached out to Fox News about the chyron alert and received a [surprising response]( that, seen in perhaps a generous light, could suggest the possibility of it. Yet it happened. Millions of Fox News viewers saw it. Unless a full-blown on-air apology happens, it doesn't matter if a rogue staffer is to blame or if the network regrets it. —Inae Oh Advertisement [House Store Ad]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [An Appalling Moment, Even by Fox News’ Standards]( With its coverage of Trump's post-arrest speech, Rupert Murdoch's network sunk to a shocking new low. BY ABIGAIL WEINBERG SPONSORED CONTENT BY DAILYCHATTER   The World in Your Inbox Introducing [DailyChatter](, the largest daily newsletter devoted to world news. Independent, nonpartisan, and fair, DailyChatter brings back the joy of discovery in keeping up with world news. All the important stories you need to know and so much more, including custom designed maps that place the news in context. [Sign up today]( and get a two-week free trial, then pay just $29.95 for a full year of 260 newsletters. [Rediscover the world, right in your inbox.]( [Trending] [No Labels is helping a firm that raises money for right-wing extremists]( BY DAVID CORN   [Report: J.D. Vance watered down his rail safety bill]( BY EAMON WHALEN   [Nikki Haley "inclined" to pardon the man she called "incredibly reckless"]( BY ARIANNA COGHILL   [SCOTUS just upheld the civil rights of millions of disabled and aging people]( BY JULIA MÉTRAUX Advertisement [House Subscriptions Ad]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [These Western cities are turning to "extreme" water recycling]( San Francisco is leading a movement to reuse wastewater for toilets and landscaping. BY JIM ROBBINS [We need your help right now] There's no sugarcoating it: We face a real budget crunch and need to raise $390,000 in online donations by June 30 to finish our fiscal year break-even. We've already cut everything we can, and there is zero wiggle room to come up short. So we're hoping that [donations from our regular newsletter readers](, from you reading this blurb right now, will come in much stronger than normal to help us get there. Please pitch in if you can right now. [Donate]( Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755