When Democratic presidential candidate and noted Dave Matthews Band fan Pete Buttigieg appeared at a Fox News town hall in New Hampshire Sunday night, he called out Fox News primetime opinion hosts Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham for laundering white nationalist talking points during their broadcasts. His criticism, naturally, did not go over well with the three nodding bobbleheads who host the president’s favorite morning show, Fox & Friends.
While breaking down the criticism he received from fellow Democrats for going on Fox News, especially in the wake of Democratic candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s full-throated rebuke of the network, Mayor Pete said: “I get where that’s coming from especially when you see what goes on with some opinion hosts on this network. I mean when you’ve got Tucker Carlson saying that immigrants make America dirty. When you’ve got Laura Ingraham comparing detention centers with children in cages to summer camps.”
Mayor Pete paused before repeating “summer camps,” and then added: “There is a reason why anybody has to swallow hard and think twice before participating in this media ecosystem.”
Mayor Pete Buttigieg Slams Fox News Hosts Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham on Fox News https://t.co/umsBxi5h8v pic.twitter.com/OkMsX10lT5
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) May 20, 2019
Fox & Friends‘s Brian Kilmeade was especially worked up by the comments.
“Don’t hop on our channel and continue to put down the other hosts on the channel, or the channel,” he said Monday morning. “If you feel that negative about it, don’t come.”
Kilmeade added that Buttigieg showed” absolutely no courage” for trashing Fox News opinion hosts without appearing on their programs, as if Kilmeade’s colleague Shep Smith doesn’t drag the opinion hosts regularly while receiving a paycheck from the network.
Brian Kilmeade says Pete Buttigieg showed “absolutely no courage” in attacking Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham at his Fox News town hall: “Don’t hop on our channel and continue to put down the other hosts on the channel.” pic.twitter.com/jrW3nmWi3d
— Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) May 20, 2019
The Fox & Friends hosts were also so aghast at the standing ovation Mayor Pete earned at the end of the town hall that Kilmeade accused him of filling the crowd with ringers.
“I think he’s related to the whole audience,” an emotional Kilmeade said.
Fox & Friends is shocked that the New Hampshire crowd approved of Pete Buttigieg’s call to abolish the electoral college, but Brian Kilmeade says that line only got applause because he stacked the crowd with his “friends.” pic.twitter.com/mln5pqxIpj
— Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) May 20, 2019
Perhaps the Fox & Friends hosts were once again carrying water for their most important viewer, who was noticeably shook by the warm reception Buttigieg received on his favorite network
….who got them there. Chris Wallace said, “I actually think, whether you like his opinions or not, that Mayor Pete has a lot of substance…fascinating biography.” Gee, he never speaks well of me – I like Mike Wallace better…and Alfred E. Newman will never be President!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 19, 2019
