Decoding Fox News

Last week before Trump decided to bomb three nuclear sites in Iran Fox News was more than happy to encourage him to start a new war in the Middle East - something he vowed he would avoid during his 2024 presidential campaign. When Fox News hosts weren’t standing in front of maps of Iran or going over various animated displays of bunker busting bombs, they were downplaying anti-Trump protests, demonizing Democrats and ignoring the fact that their glorious leader’s approval rating was dropping in multiple polls. Traditionally the American public tends to sour on foreign wars quickly even if they were far more popular when they started. Fox News hosts seemed determined to sell Trump as a president dedicated to peace while pummeling Middle East countries with 30,000-pound bombs. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingfoxnews.substack.com/subscribe [https://decodingfoxnews.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

This podcast covers special weekend editions of shows that were added by Sean Hannity, Bret Baier and others to cover the U.S. military strikes on Iran. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingfoxnews.substack.com/subscribe [https://decodingfoxnews.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Last week as Fox News tried to hype up mostly peaceful protests against ICE raids across the country the network was hit with a giant asteroid of a story - one that was too big to ignore and incredibly hard to spin. Israel, seemingly frustrated with Trump’s lack of progress with a diplomatic solution, launched Operation Rising Lion and struck Iran’s nuclear sites. Iran immediately retaliated striking Israel. As of today 224 Iranians [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdj9vj8glg2o] have perished along with 24 Israelis [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdj9vj8glg2o]. Israel’s actions push the world dangerously close to an expanded global conflict. President Trump has made things worse by recklessly tweeting things that imply that the United States is prepared to enter a full scale war with Iran. Trump posted on social media [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdj9vj8glg2o]for Iran’s "unconditional surrender" and said the U.S. knew where Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was located, but would not kill him, "for now.” In social media posts [https://x.com/Shayan86/status/1935011828657967522] Trump has also used the pronoun ‘we’ when referring to the actions of the Israeli government. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingfoxnews.substack.com/subscribe [https://decodingfoxnews.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Trump tried to look like a fascist and failed miserably. Army 250 was the saddest parade in the world. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingfoxnews.substack.com/subscribe [https://decodingfoxnews.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Last week before Trump decided to abuse the power of the presidency with his inappropriate use of the U.S. military the network was dedicated to a story that most Americans couldn’t care less about - the former president’s use of an autopen. The term ‘autopen’ showed up 69 times in last week’s transcripts. Last week congressional Republicans led by Rep. James Comer launched a pointless investigation into Joe Biden’s use of a signing machine or autopen. American presidents have used machines to sign documents for decades. The use of an autopen is not illegal or unethical. Republicans, helped by Fox News, are trying to create a narrative that Biden was so mentally incapacitated that he had no idea what he was signing or that someone else in the Biden admin. was signing documents without the president’s knowledge. The autopen scandal is just the latest bright shiny object to keep the Fox News audience focused on something besides Trump’s attempts to turn the United States into his own private fascist fiefdom. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingfoxnews.substack.com/subscribe [https://decodingfoxnews.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]