Fox News Is A 'Pardon Pipeline' To The White House

By Aliza Worthington — November 18, 2019

Must be nice to have an entire TV station devoted to helping you shape your policy and figure out which criminals to pardon! Must be awesome to be white and rich and have your crimes erased with with the ease of a television appearance! No wonder dictators and autocrats seize control of communications channels and guard them with such deadly ferocity. Think this is hyperbole or melodrama? Trump just pardoned three war criminals at the behest of Fox moron and walking bacterial infection Pete Hegseth.

Yeah, that's right. Trump disregarded the wishes of THE PENTAGON, in favor of the opinion of the guy who doesn't wash his hands after he wipes his ass.

Brian Stelter discussed the issue with his panel on Reliable Sources yesterday.

STELTER: Nicole Hemmer, the headline about the president issuing pardons to these accused war criminals. Fox's Pete Hegseth was one of the loudest champions of these pardons, and he's been celebrating them all weekend long on Fox. We could put up some of the headlines about Hegseth wanting to see this happen. What do you make of this fox feedback loop when it comes to pardons for members of the military?

NICOLE HEMMER: So, this has actually been incredibly important. Hegseth hasn't just been talking about this on Fox news. He's been talking about it in private meetings with the president. He is another of the president's Fox News advisers who is talking to him behind the scenes. And other people have gone on Fox News to appeal for pardons as well, and have gotten them. Like Scooter Libby and other folks who have been pardoned throughout the administration. So, it's quite irregular. It cuts out the Office of the Pardon Attorney, and it just shows the power of Fox News and the governing role that Fox News has taken on.

STELTER: Speaking of pardons, Roger Stone's fans are lobbying for a pardon for Stone. One of his biggest fans is Alex Jones on Info Wars, was actually urging Info Wars' viewers to call the White House switchboard. What do you make of that, Abigail?

ABIGAIL TRACY: I think it's part of the same pattern. People have recognized the best way to get the president's ear is through these platforms, whether it's Fox News or though Alex Jones' show. You've seen that pardon pipeline happening, and these people making these pleas for these individuals. I think it's absolutely expected.

STELTER: Roger Stone's daughter was on Tucker Carlson's show.

TRACY: Exactly.

STELTER: Asking the president, right into the camera, for a pardon. It's upside down world, but I guess it's normal at this point.

TRACY: Yeah, Fox News and Info Wars has become this informal platform to pitch the president on pardons, and I think it's undeniable at this point.

Then, Dan Rather decided to jump in with one of the most disturbing notions of all.

DAN RATHER: If I may, I hate to butt in, but this question of can the president pardon himself is a question that's not being asked nearly often enough. Surprisingly, the answer is a little vague, whether the president could, indeed, pardon himself.

STELTER: Let's let that sit out there for a minute and contemplate that.

Thanks, Dan. Thanks a lot.

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