This is the bizarre way the Fox & Friends hosts are trying to avoid reporting that Trump tried to fire Robert Mueller


The hosts of Fox & Friends dutifully covered The New York Times' front-page bombshell on Friday, but stopped short of accepting the report that President Trump tried to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller last June. That put the hosts in a bit of an awkward spot, though, seeing as Fox News has independently corroborated the story.
Nevertheless, host Steve Doocy began by telling viewers that "what [President Trump] just told reporters, you're going to want to hear, it's not in the papers," which Media Matters' Matthew Gertz points out is simply because Trump made the comments overnight. But Doocy had set the tone for the morning coverage at Fox News, which focused intently on Trump's claim that the New York Times' scoop is "fake news."
"There's a huge difference between talking and taking action," argued Pete Hegseth. Ainsley Eardardt boldly pivoted off topic by telling viewers: "The president says it's fake news, that happened last June, it's something we have to tell you about because it's a headline on The New York Times. What do you think about that? Do you even care? Something you probably do care about is immigration."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Watch the bizarre segment below, and check out Sean Hannity's gymnastics to avoid the awkward topic here. Jeva Lange
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Who has to pay the estate tax?
the explainer Trump's new bill will permanently shift who owes federal estate tax
-
'Trucking is a dangerous business'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Dollar faces historic slump as stocks hit new high
Speed Read While stocks have recovered post-Trump tariffs, the dollar has weakened more than 10% this year
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
Senate advances GOP bill that costs more, cuts more
Speed Read The bill would make giant cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, leaving 11.8 million fewer people with health coverage
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible
-
Supreme Court lets states ax Planned Parenthood funds
Speed Read The court ruled that Planned Parenthood cannot sue South Carolina over the state's effort to deny it funding
-
Trump plans Iran talks, insists nuke threat gone
Speed Read 'The war is done' and 'we destroyed the nuclear,' said President Trump