Fox News banned from debates for 'inappropriate relationship with Trump'

Right-wing propaganda network Fox News lost out on an opportunity to host a Democratic presidential debate, thanks to their ongoing, multi-year relationship to Trump and his administration.

The Democratic National Committee made its announcement on Tuesday, citing the recent revelations from the New Yorker uncovering the sordid connection between Fox News and Trump.

“Recent reporting in the New Yorker on the inappropriate relationship between President Trump, his administration and Fox News has led me to conclude that the network is not in a position to host a fair and neutral debate for our candidates,” said party chairman Tom Perez in a statement. “Therefore, Fox News will not serve as a media partner for the 2020 Democratic primary debates.”

The Democrats plan to have 12 debates throughout the party’s presidential nomination process. So far they have given debates to NBC (along with MSNBC and Telemundo) and CNN.

A recent New Yorker story revealed that ahead of the 2016 election Fox worked to suppress the story of Trump’s pre-election payoffs to Stormy Daniels designed to hide his affair. The article also revealed more disturbing details about how Fox host Sean Hannity has been effectively working as Trump’s “shadow chief of staff” and a “West Wing adviser.”

Hannity even selected Trump’s communications director, former Fox executive Bill Shine, who was part of the team covering up the serial sexual abuse of Fox founder Roger Ailes.

Fox functions as a propaganda arm of the Trump administration, attacking his political rivals and twisting facts to prop up his presidency. In exchange, Trump has made policy decisions affecting the lives of millions of people based solely on the slanted portrayal produced by Fox.

The current Fox-Trump relationship has been years in the making. He transitioned from reality TV host and failed businessman to political observer, thanks to a regularly scheduled guest slot on Fox News that began in 2011.

From that perch, Trump pushed the racist birther conspiracy theory about President Barack Obama and even began formulating the racist border wall idea (based on distorted Fox News footage).

Fox News has operated for over 23 years as a racist, misogynistic, Islamophobic, bigoted and buffoonish outlet designed from its inception to promote conservatism and the Republican Party.

With Trump in office, it operates as an extension of his presidency and helps to amplify his rampant bigotry and ignorance.

That combination of issues led Democrats to exclude it from the primary debate process and American democracy will be better off for it.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.