Tuesday's debate kicked off with an acknowledgment of the protesters outside the debate who were calling for an increase in the minimum wage to $15 per hour. By acknowledgement, I mean that the first question was an invitation for candidates to parrot Fox Business -- and Neil Cavuto in particular -- on their false contention that raising the minimum wage causes job losses.
Media Matters went back and listed the numerous times Cavuto has brought CEOs on to misinform Fox Business viewers with regard to the impact of the minimum wage.
Fox's Neil Cavuto Hosts Home Depot CEO Who Calls Minimum Wage Increases A Job Killer. On the November 11 edition of Fox News' Your World, host Neil Cavuto invited Bernie Marcus, Home Depot's co-founder and former CEO, to promote the idea that while the minimum wage "looks great, it looks phenomenal, and it actually sells in America," it would "cost jobs where we don't want it to be," such as "the minorities" and "the young people":
That video is at the top of this post. But there's more. Many, many more.
Cavuto Hosts Former McDonald's USA President Who Claims Raising Minimum Wage Would Be A "Job-Costing Event." On the November 10 edition of Your World, Cavuto hosted Ed Rensi, a former McDonald's USA CEO, who claimed a minimum wage increase would destroy jobs. Cavuto asked Rensi if individuals protesting for a higher minimum wage "could be pushing themselves right out of a job." Rensi responded "there's no question about it ... This is going to be a job-costing event":
A pattern begins to form:
Cavuto Hosts CEO Who Calls Minimum Wage Increases "Economic Stupidity Of The Most Arch Kind." On the September 10 edition of Your World, Cavuto hosted Dave Maney, CEO and founder of Deke Digital, to attack minimum wage increases. Maney claimed "this minimum wage debate is economic stupidity of the most arch kind" and is "economic insanity":
And again:
Cavuto Hosts White Castle Vice President To Attack Minimum Wage. On the June 30 edition of Your World, Cavuto hosted White Castle Vice President Jamie Richardson to discuss the minimum wage. During the segment, Richardson claimed wage increases would cost consumers more:
Yet again:
Cavuto Hosts White Castle VP And Former Toys "R" Us CEO To Attack Minimum Wage Increase. In January 2014, Cavuto was joined by Jamie Richardson, vice president of White Castle government relations, and Jerry Storch, former CEO of Toys"R" Us, both of whom expressed their opposition to minimum wage increases. Storch claimed a minimum wage increase is "bad for the country, it's bad for growth, [and] it's bad for jobs." Richardson claimed raising the federal mandated minimum wage "doesn't create ladders of opportunity." Cavuto subsequently claimed that "if the economy is so bad that it warrants extending unemployment benefits for the umpteenth time, then surely it warrants going slow on increasing the minimum wage."
It's not a huge surprise that the very first question in Tuesday's debate, where hundreds of protesters were gathered outside to fight for $15 per hour, would be one allowing candidates to outright lie about the impact of an increase in the minimum wage.
