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Fox & Friends does just what Trump wants – they pretend the Epstein fiasco doesn't exist
Fox & Friends does just what Trump wants – they pretend the Epstein fiasco doesn't exist

Yahoo

time5 days ago

  • Politics
  • Yahoo

Fox & Friends does just what Trump wants – they pretend the Epstein fiasco doesn't exist

Two days after Donald Trump effectively turbocharged the MAGA meltdown over the Jeffrey Epstein 'no client list' memo by going full 'Streisand effect,' it appears that at least the president's favorite morning show is following his demand for his 'boys' and 'gals' to just move on. While the bulk of right-wing media is gripped in a state of chaos over Trump chastising his 'so-called 'friends'' for remaining obsessed over the Epstein files, which he suggested were fake and 'written by Obama,' Fox & Friends decided Monday morning that the best course of action was just to ignore the raging firestorm completely. Since the start of his first term in office, Fox News' flagship morning program has largely served as Trump's daily agenda-setter, as it is typically the first thing the cable news-obsessed president flips on to start his day. Whether it is peddling the administration's talking points unvarnished or amplifying culture war outrages to grab Trump's attention, Fox & Friends is the first and most important stop in the president's day-to-day MAGA media diet. At the same time, whenever the conservative cable giant wants to send a message to the president about potentially changing course on a specific issue, the denizens of the curvy couch have stepped up in the past to warn Trump about potentially going down a specific path. That didn't appear to be the case Monday, though, as Fox & Friends decided to heed his call to look the other way on Epstein. What makes this decision by the morning show stand out somewhat more, too, is that the weekend version of Fox & Friends outright warned Trump Sunday that he couldn't just sweep the Epstein story under the rug while lashing out at his own base for continuing to focus on it. The hosts of Donald Trump's favorite morning show — and daily agenda-setter — followed the president's orders and completely ignored the continued meltdown over the Epstein memo. (Fox News) 'If there's anybody who could walk in and say, 'OK, we've resolved all of the questions and there is nothing here,' it would be President Trump and his crew,' Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Charlie Hurt said. 'The problem is, you can't really do it without giving some explanation. And there has to be some explanation. And I think that's why you have a lot of people still pretty with a lot a very valid questions.' Guest anchor Kevin Corke added that Trump could 'defuse this ticking time bomb if you simply get out there,' noting that 'you have to answer questions to the American people' because 'this story won't die and that is a distraction the president doesn't want.' Elsewhere on Fox News over the weekend, some criticism came the president's way as the right-wing network was forced to deal with the backlash from its MAGA audience over the Justice Department's memo that concludes there was no 'client list,' Epstein died by suicide and he didn't appear to blackmail prominent figures who engaged in his underage sex trafficking. 'The refusal to release anything from Jeffrey Epstein has really struck a nerve — a deep nerve — among many Trump supporters, many people in the MAGA movement who say they feel betrayed,' Fox News media host Howard Kurtz acknowledged on Sunday's broadcast of MediaBuzz. One of Kurtz's guests, Washington Examiner editor Sarah Bedford, called it a 'huge PR disaster for the Trump administration' and that they could not 'have scripted a better way to keep the conspiracy theories alive than the way they handled it.' While other Fox News stars, particularly Laura Ingraham at this past weekend's Turning Point USA conference, have sounded the alarm that much of the president's base could turn on him over his handling of the Epstein fallout, the network seemed to do its level best to shrug it off starting Sunday night. Over on The Big Weekend Show, for instance, co-host Lisa Marie Boothe delivered a short report noting that 'President Trump is telling his attorney general to ignore the noise over the Epstein files and keep her eye on the ball arresting criminals and restoring integrity at the DOJ' before pivoting to the administration weighing criminal probes against James Comey and John Brennan. Notably, some within the MAGA media universe are already wondering if the Brennan and Comey investigation is just an effort to 'distract us' from the Epstein case, specifically pointing out that Fox News was the one that got the 'scoop' on the probe. A little while later during his weekend evening show, Brian Kilmeade – who is also a co-host of Fox & Friends – flat-out ignored his guest Michael Shellenberger's observation that 'the elephant in the room' was the Epstein files and how Attorney General Pam Bondi and the FBI's leaders 'led everyone to expect that we would see them' and this could lead to an 'end of the honeymoon period for the Trump presidency.' By Monday morning, the message delivered appeared to be crystal clear – do not talk about the deceased sex predator under any circumstances. And that's just what Kilmeade and the rest of the Fox & Friends crew decided to do. While the cable news competition feasted on the story – MSNBC's Morning Joe, for instance, mentioned Epstein over 100 times and Bondi an additional 80 times on Monday – Fox & Friends found other things to fill out its three-hour block to distract its most crucial viewer. 'I'm sure he needed a nap right after,' Kilmeade joked during a segment about Joe Biden's recent interview with The New York Times in which the former president defended his use of an autopen, a Trump-made scandal that Fox News has heavily pushed. Elsewhere throughout Monday morning's broadcast, the Fox & Friends hosts also discussed how Gen Z men are using 'boy math' to invest in Pokémon cards instead of traditional stocks and a New York Times column about the need to stop cutting off MAGA family members. The hosts on Monday touched on Pokemon cards and former president Joe Biden - but not the Epstein controversy (Fox News) The attempt by Trump's morning buddies to put their heads in the sand and to pretend that MAGA isn't tearing itself apart over the Epstein memo – and now coming for the president himself over his lengthy relationship with the convicted sex offender– still won't make the issue go away, no matter how much Trump-pandering chum they try to throw into the water to distract viewers. 'Trump's persuasive power over his base, especially during his first term, was almost magical,' said alt-right conspiracist Mike Cernovich, one of the 15 conservative influencers whom Bondi handed the 'Phase 1' Epstein file binders in February of already-public information about the disgraced financier. That debacle blew up in Bondi's face and sparked a months-long backlash that culminated in last week's memo. 'The reaction on Epstein should thus be startling to him. No one is buying it. No one is dropping it,' Cernovich added. MAGA podcaster Benny Johnson, who spoke at this past weekend's TPUSA event that featured attendees raging about Trump becoming the 'deep state' and 'protecting pedophiles,' declared Monday that the long-fabled 'Epstein client list' is now the 'number one motivating issue for the base.' 'You don't have a political movement if you don't have a base,' he insisted. 'And if that base feels like you're betraying them or not telling them the truth, then they're not gonna like that. With former Trump strategist Steve Bannon also warning that the president could lose 10 percent or more of his base over the Epstein memo and his administration's efforts to move past it, Bannon and other MAGA luminaries are pushing Trump to course-correct in an effort to tamp down the right-wing anger. Especially since conspiracy theories about Epstein – which Trump and much of his administration have long nurtured and fanned the flames of – have been a gravitating force of Trumpism for years now and an extension of the Pizzagate and QAnon pedophilia fever swamps. Amid the infighting within the administration over the controversy – FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has threatened to quit following a clash with Bondi over the way the memo was handled – Trump officials and aides are reportedly considering at least three ways to try to defuse the Epstein mess. Still, even with these ideas being floated about, the administration is following the president's lead for the moment, which is no more talk about Epstein stuff. And that Bondi, Bongino and FBI Director Kash Patel are all doing a 'FANTASTIC JOB' and in 'good shape,' regardless of the obvious disarray taking place behind the scenes. 'The president said to put this behind us, so we're putting this behind us,' a top Trump adviser told Axios. 'If he changes, then the policy changes. Period.' This edict would appear to hold true for his curvy couch pals as well.

Sean Duffy is Trump pick for NASA interim head
Sean Duffy is Trump pick for NASA interim head

The Herald Scotland

time11-07-2025

  • Politics
  • The Herald Scotland

Sean Duffy is Trump pick for NASA interim head

Trump, though, gave Duffy a glowing vote of confidence when announcing his new appointment. "He will be a fantastic leader of the ever more important Space Agency, even if only for a short period of time," Trump said in a Truth Social post Wednesday, July 9. NASA funding: Dozens of NASA space missions could be axed under Trump's budget Here's everything to know about Duffy, the former Wisconsin Republican Congressman and reality TV star who will lead the world's largest space agency. Trump picks transportation secretary Sean Duffy for NASA acting administrator Duffy will serve as the interim administrator of NASA as the Trump administration continues to search for a candidate to formally take over the post for the rest of the president's term. "Sean is doing a TREMENDOUS job in handling our Country's Transportation Affairs, including creating a state-of-the-art Air Traffic Control systems, while at the same time rebuilding our roads and bridges, making them efficient, and beautiful, again," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "Congratulations, and thank you, Sean." ???? Honored to accept this mission. Time to take over space. Let's launch. ???????????? — Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) July 10, 2025 In his own post on X shortly after the president's announcement, Duffy said he is "honored to accept this mission. Time to take over space. Let's launch. Who is Sean Duffy? What to know about NASA's new head Duffy, 53, was confirmed Jan. 28 by the Senate as U.S. transportation secretary. His tenure was immediately marked by tragedy after a fatal aviation crash near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that killed 67 people At his confirmation hearing on Jan. 15, Duffy said he would prioritize adding more air traffic controllers to improve aviation safety while promising to work with Congress and the Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates Boeing, to restore international confidence in the plane manufacturer after fatal crashes overseas. Prior to serving in the Trump Administration, Duffy represented Wisconsin in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019. But long before his political career, Duffy was a reality television star. He began his television career on MTV's "The Real World: Boston" during its sixth season and even met his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, who hosts "Fox & Friends Weekend," while filming for an MTV show. Duffy to replace Janet Petro Since Trump's inauguration, NASA has been led by Acting Administrator Janet Petro. A veteran NASA executive, Petro will step down from her role to make way for Duffy, the New York Times reported. Why did Trump drop Jared Isaacman as NASA nominee? Billionaire Jared Isaacman, who has been to space twice under missions he bankrolled with SpaceX, had been Trump's first pick to lead NASA. Isaacman's nomination was well-received by most of the space community and members of Congress. But at a critical time when the U.S. space agency is preparing to return humans to the moon and send the first astronauts to Mars, Trump suddenly pulled Isaacman's bid in late-May. The decision came after Isaacman had cleared the Senate Commerce Committee in April and appeared on track for a full Senate vote. A bit of clarification--though I don't think my circumstances are particularly interesting or consequential. That said, and regardless of the points below, the President is entitled to assemble the leadership team he believes will best serve his administration. I have been... — Jared Isaacman (@rookisaacman) July 7, 2025 Trump discussed Isaacman's nomination July 6 in a long social media post bashing his former ally and advisor Elon Musk, saying he thought it would have been "inappropriate that a very close friend of Elon ... run NASA." Trump further said of Isaacman that he "was surprised to learn that he was a blue-blooded Democrat, who had never contributed to a Republican before." Isaacman pushed back against Trump's claims in a post Monday, July 7 on X, describing himself as an apolitical "right-leaning moderate." Could more than 2,000 senior employees quit at NASA? Duffy is set to take over an agency that has undergone workforce reductions and is preparing for a potential massive looming budget cut. Trump's proposed budget for the next fiscal year would slash NASA funding by nearly 25% - from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion - mostly by eliminating a significant portion of the agency's science portfolio. And on July 10, news broke that around 2,145 senior-ranking employees at NASA are set to leave under a push to shed staff, Politico reported, citing documents obtained by the news outlet. Most employees leaving are in senior-level government positions, the report said, adding that the agency has offered staff early retirement, buyouts and deferred resignations. Contributing: Bart Jansen, USA TODAY; Reuters Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@

Who is Sean Duffy? What to know about Trump's pick for interim head of NASA
Who is Sean Duffy? What to know about Trump's pick for interim head of NASA

USA Today

time10-07-2025

  • Politics
  • USA Today

Who is Sean Duffy? What to know about Trump's pick for interim head of NASA

News of Duffy's appointment comes during a turbulent period in NASA's history, as the U.S. space agency faces potentially steep budget cuts and has grappled with workforce reductions Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is about to perform double duty after President Donald Trump named him to lead NASA on an interim basis. News of Duffy's appointment comes during a turbulent period in NASA's history, as the U.S. space agency faces potentially steep budget cuts and has grappled with workforce reductions. What's more, NASA has found itself without a full-time administrator since Bill Nelson stepped down on Jan. 20, the day of Trump's inauguration. Trump, though, gave Duffy a glowing vote of confidence when announcing his new appointment. 'He will be a fantastic leader of the ever more important Space Agency, even if only for a short period of time,' Trump said in a Truth Social post Wednesday, July 9. NASA funding: Dozens of NASA space missions could be axed under Trump's budget Here's everything to know about Duffy, the former Wisconsin Republican Congressman and reality TV star who will lead the world's largest space agency. Trump picks transportation secretary Sean Duffy for NASA acting administrator Duffy will serve as the interim administrator of NASA as the Trump administration continues to search for a candidate to formally take over the post for the rest of the president's term. 'Sean is doing a TREMENDOUS job in handling our Country's Transportation Affairs, including creating a state-of-the-art Air Traffic Control systems, while at the same time rebuilding our roads and bridges, making them efficient, and beautiful, again," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "Congratulations, and thank you, Sean." In his own post on X shortly after the president's announcement, Duffy said he is 'honored to accept this mission. Time to take over space. Let's launch. Who is Sean Duffy? What to know about NASA's new head Duffy, 53, was confirmed Jan. 28 by the Senate as U.S. transportation secretary. His tenure was immediately marked by tragedy after a fatal aviation crash near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that killed 67 people At his confirmation hearing on Jan. 15, Duffy said he would prioritize adding more air traffic controllers to improve aviation safety while promising to work with Congress and the Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates Boeing, to restore international confidence in the plane manufacturer after fatal crashes overseas. Prior to serving in the Trump Administration, Duffy represented Wisconsin in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019. But long before his political career, Duffy was a reality television star. He began his television career on MTV's "The Real World: Boston" during its sixth season and even met his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, who hosts 'Fox & Friends Weekend," while filming for an MTV show. Duffy to replace Janet Petro Since Trump's inauguration, NASA has been led by Acting Administrator Janet Petro. A veteran NASA executive, Petro will step down from her role to make way for Duffy, the New York Times reported. Why did Trump drop Jared Isaacman as NASA nominee? Billionaire Jared Isaacman, who has been to space twice under missions he bankrolled with SpaceX, had been Trump's first pick to lead NASA. Isaacman's nomination was well-received by most of the space community and members of Congress. But at a critical time when the U.S. space agency is preparing to return humans to the moon and send the first astronauts to Mars, Trump suddenly pulled Isaacman's bid in late-May. The decision came after Isaacman had cleared the Senate Commerce Committee in April and appeared on track for a full Senate vote. Trump discussed Isaacman's nomination July 6 in a long social media post bashing his former ally and advisor Elon Musk, saying he thought it would have been 'inappropriate that a very close friend of Elon … run NASA.' Trump further said of Isaacman that he "was surprised to learn that he was a blue-blooded Democrat, who had never contributed to a Republican before." Isaacman pushed back against Trump's claims in a post Monday, July 7 on X, describing himself as an apolitical "right-leaning moderate." Could more than 2,000 senior employees quit at NASA? Duffy is set to take over an agency that has undergone workforce reductions and is preparing for a potential massive looming budget cut. Trump's proposed budget for the next fiscal year would slash NASA funding by nearly 25% – from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion – mostly by eliminating a significant portion of the agency's science portfolio. And on July 10, news broke that around 2,145 senior-ranking employees at NASA are set to leave under a push to shed staff, Politico reported, citing documents obtained by the news outlet. Most employees leaving are in senior-level government positions, the report said, adding that the agency has offered staff early retirement, buyouts and deferred resignations. Contributing: Bart Jansen, USA TODAY; Reuters Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@

Sean Duffy, Donald Trump's unexpected pick for interim NASA chief: Once a reality TV star
Sean Duffy, Donald Trump's unexpected pick for interim NASA chief: Once a reality TV star

Hindustan Times

time10-07-2025

  • Politics
  • Hindustan Times

Sean Duffy, Donald Trump's unexpected pick for interim NASA chief: Once a reality TV star

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday gave his secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy, an additional responsibility to serve as the interim administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). US transportation secretary Sean Duffy is an old hand from TV and politics. (Getty Images via AFP) Though the NASA administrator role has remained vacant since Trump withdrew his initial nominee, tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, Duffy's appointment still comes as a bolt out of the blue. The Republican leader made the announcement on Wednesday through a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. According to Donald Trump, Sean Duffy will be "a fantastic leader of the ever-more important Space Agency, even if only for a short period of time." Before Duffy's appointment to the post, Donald Trump withdrew Jared Isaacman's nomination in May, citing a review of his 'prior associations.' SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, whose feud with Trump has been making waves since late May, had backed Isaacman for the post. Know Sean Duffy: Stints include MTV, US Congress Born on October 3, 1971, Sean Duffy is a former Republican congressman from Wisconsin. His resume also includes stints as a lumberjack athlete, reality TV star, prosecutor and Fox News host. Duffy began his career in the public eye when he featured on MTV's 'The Real World: Boston' in 1997. He also worked in MTV's 'Road Rules: All Stars', where he met his wife and future 'Fox & Friends Weekend' co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy in 1998. He has nine kids. Duffy then went on to become a special prosecutor and later the district attorney of Ashland County in northern Wisconsin. He entered the US Congress on a Republican ticket in 2010, riding the Tea Party wave. His advertisement, showing him as a lumberjack, became pretty famous and featured him saying that he would take his axe to Washington. In his nine-year stint in Congress, Duffy served on the Financial Services Committee and was the chair of the subcommittee on insurance and housing. In 2019, he quit Congress to become a contributor to Fox News before being picked by Donald Trump as his transportation secretary in the second term that began in January 2025.

Who is Sean Duffy, the unexpected choice for NASA's interim administrator?
Who is Sean Duffy, the unexpected choice for NASA's interim administrator?

India Today

time10-07-2025

  • Automotive
  • India Today

Who is Sean Duffy, the unexpected choice for NASA's interim administrator?

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday appointed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to serve as the interim administrator of NASA, a role that has remained vacant since Trump withdrew his initial nominee. His appointment follows the presidential withdrawal of the nomination of tech billionaire Jared made the announcement Wednesday on his Truth Social platform, saying Duffy will be "a fantastic leader of the ever-more important Space Agency, even if only for a short period of time."advertisementTrump withdrew Isaacman's nomination in May, citing a review of his 'prior associations.' Duffy will temporarily take over the post that has been in the spotlight due to Trump's feud with billionaire Elon Musk, who backed Isaacman. A former Republican congressman from Wisconsin, Duffy's resume includes stints as a lumberjack athlete, reality TV star, prosecutor and Fox News was featured on MTV's "The Real World: Boston" in 1997 and met his his wife, "Fox & Friends Weekend" co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy, on the set of MTV's "Road Rules: All Stars" in later worked as a special prosecutor and the district attorney of Ashland County in northern Wisconsin. He won election to Congress as part of the tea party wave in UNDERDOG TO POLITICAL FIGUREWhen he first ran for Congress, Duffy was considered an underdog. But he attracted national attention with his campaign ads, which featured him dramatically chopping wood while donning a red flannel shirt. He told voters he came from a 'long line of lumberjacks' and would bring his axe to served in the House for nearly nine years. He was a member of the Financial Services Committee and chair of the subcommittee on insurance and leaving Congress in 2019, citing the need to care for his growing family, Duffy became a contributor to Fox News and one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable television. He served as co-host of 'The Bottom Line' on Fox Business before being picked for the new was one of several Fox personalities that Trump chose to fill his Cabinet, including Pete Hegseth, the new defense has nine children, the youngest of whom was born with a heart follows reports that the administration plans to cut over 2,100 senior NASA staff through early retirements, buyouts, and delayed resignations, aligning with Trump's announcement.- EndsWith inputs from AgenciesMust Watch

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