I didn’t think it was possible for anyone to “clash” with Bret Baier but she came ready to mix it up, knowing Fox would be hostile territory. Too bad he had to take the brunt of her critique, since Baier’s the one guy on the network who can be trusted to play it straight on the subject of the election:
It wasn’t https://t.co/TMTZGwQAXW
— Bret Baier (@BretBaier) May 13, 2021
Still, Cheney’s not wrong about Fox having special influence over Republican opinion, perhaps especially when it comes to the election:
Republicans who trust Fox News (86%) and far-right news networks (96%), including One America News Network and Newsmax, overwhelmingly support the stolen election conspiracy theory. pic.twitter.com/yyUw6BC4Qn
— PRRI (@PRRIpoll) May 12, 2021
She’s not wrong either to scold them about sticking to the truth. I didn’t see it but apparently Tucker said as recently as last night that “so many people are lying at such high volume about the 2020 election, it’s hard to know exactly what happened.” FNC’s also facing a lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems seeking $1.6 billion in damages after too many Fox hosts insinuated that the company may have facilitated vote-rigging chicanery.
If everyone on the network were as down-the-middle as Baier, they wouldn’t have that problem. As it is, she shamed their one host who didn’t need any shaming to tell the truth about who won in November.
There’s more drama brewing tonight that’s connected to Cheney although in this case only tangentially. Freedom Caucus member Chip Roy has decided that he’ll challenge Elise Stefanik for Cheney’s leadership position after all. I thought that was a bluff but no, he’s really going through with it, believing that there needs to be a more conservative option than her for the caucus to consider.
Stefanik’s most influential patron isn’t happy about it:
Can’t imagine Republican House Members would go with Chip Roy—he has not done a great job, and will probably be successfully primaried in his own district. I support Elise, by far, over Chip!
I assume Trump’s pique towards Roy dates back to Roy’s attempt to embarrass Republican colleagues in the House who sought to block certification of Biden’s win. But nothing would be more MAGA than a rock-ribbed conservative like Roy getting primaried for no better reason than that he dared oppose Trump’s handpicked RINO candidate, Stefanik. Keep your head down, Chip!
Here’s Cheney vs. Baier. The most contentious part, involving Fox, starts at around 5:00.
