Bernie Sanders says Fox News is mostly a propaganda arm for Trump
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a 2020 presidential candidate, said that he believes Fox News is mainly a propaganda arm of the Trump administration, even as he prepares to participate in a town hall with the network.
“In most respects, I think it is,” Sanders told HuffPost on Saturday when asked if Fox News broadcasts were propaganda for President Trump.
{mosads}Sanders added, however, that there are broadcasters on the network who are “serious” and “fair,” noting the town hall he did with host Bret Baier during the 2016 presidential cycle.
“I think they have some people who you can describe as real journalists,” he said. “Obviously, most of the station is right-wing propaganda.”
Sanders cautioned against completely dismissing the network, considering the millions of viewers that tune in to its programs each day.
“For better or for worse ― and it is for worse ― for whatever reason, you know, Fox has a huge viewing audience,” Sanders said. “And to simply say that we’re not going to talk to millions of people who watch that network I don’t think is smart.”
“When I go on Fox, what I will say is, ‘Look, many of you voted for Donald Trump, but he lied to you,’ ” Sanders continued. “‘He told you he was going provide health care for everybody, yet his policies are to throw 30 million people off of the health insurance they have.'”
An executive for Fox in a statement last week said the network was pleased that Sanders thought Democratic candidates should appear on Fox.
“We’re pleased that Sanders and the DNC agree with FOX News that successful Democratic presidential candidates must engage directly with our large, diverse audience through televised town halls with top-notch journalists Bret Baier, Martha MacCallum and Chris Wallace,” Fox News senior vice president Bill Sammon said.
Sanders will participate in a Fox News town hall that focuses on the economy and jobs on April 15. The event is set to be moderated by Baier and Fox News host Martha MacCallum.
Sanders’s decision to participate in an event with the network came just weeks after the Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced that it would not allow Fox News to host any 2020 presidential primary debates.
DNC Chairman Tom Perez said the move was made after a report in The New Yorker alleged an “inappropriate relationship between President Trump, his administration and Fox News.”
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