Fox News admits Biden doesn't actually want to cancel meat. Late night hosts pounce anyway.


Have you heard President Biden wants to cut your meat consumption to four pounds a year? If so, somebody's feeding you a bunch of baloney. "No matter what you're hearing from Fox News or a Twitter swarm of Republican leaders, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Donald Trump Jr., Biden's proposal to cut U.S. carbon emissions says absolutely nothing about banning beef or rationing meat or forcing you to eat Brussels sprouts on July 4," Politico's Michael Grunwald wrote Monday night. "It's malarkey. It's a Whopper. It's USDA Prime bull."
"There is no effort designed to limit people's intake of beef coming out of President Biden's White House or USDA," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack clarified Monday. "Sometimes in the political world, games get played and issues are injected into the conversation knowing full well that there's no factual basis." Fox News anchor John Roberts acknowledged Monday that he and his network had erred Friday in injecting the idea Biden wants to limit your burgers into the conversation.
Late Night's Seth Meyers played the retracted clip of John Roberts, plus other iterations of this "insane new lie about Joe Biden." Clearly, "Republicans seem to think Joe Biden's army of antifa super soldiers is gonna come to your house and take your Dr. Seuss books and your hamburgers," he said, "and I'm only slightly exaggerating."
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.
Larry Kudlow, former President Donald Trump's former economic adviser, took "this dumb and completely baseless lie" one step dumber, Meyers showed. "That's right, in Biden's America you'll have to celebrate July 4th by drinking a 'plant-based beer,' as opposed to, you know, all those meat-based beers. Does he think PBR stands for Pork and Beef Ribs? Does he think Hamm's is made with real ham?"
Yes, "no one was more upset about this made-up news than Fox Business made-up host Larry Kudlow," who warned about "an unthinkable nightmare" where Biden will have us all "drinking 'plant-based beer,'" Stephen Colbert joked at The Late Show. "But some beer companies are fighting back." Namely, "Meat Lager." You can watch that actually terrifying commercial below. Peter Weber
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Leo XIV vs. Trump: what will first American Pope mean for US Catholics?
Today's Big Question New pope has frequently criticised the president, especially on immigration policy, but is more socially conservative than his predecessor
-
What's going on with the Beckhams?
In the Spotlight From wedding tantrums to birthday snubs, rumours of a family rift are becoming harder to hide
-
Interest rate cut: the winners and losers
The Explainer The Bank of England's rate cut is not good news for everyone
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine