President Donald Trump is not a popular President. He lost the popular vote in the 2016 election by the largest margin of any electoral college winner. Since then, his average approval rating has never risen above 50 percent.
Nevertheless, the Conservative network Fox Business, an affiliate of Fox News, is determined to prop up the President's ego, and the delusion of his supporters that Trump is incapable of doing wrong.
With over 80 thousand Americans dead and millions more unemployed in the wake of the global pandemic and Trump's delayed response to it, it's been harder than ever to convince the nation that Trump's job performance merits reelection.
That may be why Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo got a little too eager when heaping praise upon the President in a bizarre new interview.
Watch below.
Maria Bartiromo starts to wrap up the interview by asking, Mr Trump, your campaign seems to have the momentum of a runaway freight train. Why are you so popular? pic.twitter.com/dQaMpe1EsR
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2020
Bartiromo asked Trump:
"You've gotten so much done...and yet FBI takedown effort, pushback on all of your Supreme Court judges, a complete drama around Brett Kavanaugh, the Democrats in Congress attacking your call with the Ukraine leader, and an impeachment trial...I've never seen anybody to take a punch and then get right back up and keep punching. Where does this resilience come from, that you keep getting things done in the face of all of this?"
Naturally, Trump basked in the praise, repeating a claim that Rush Limbaugh asked him the same thing: how he could supposedly take so much and still be a great President.
Trump then falsely claimed that his administration had done more in its first four years than any other President.
In reality, Trump is the first and only president who received a vote in favor of conviction from his own party during an impeachment trial. His attempt at repealing Obamacare was unsuccessful, and—with the exception of a deeply flawed tax bill—his administration hasn't achieved much of any landmark legislation. Like Obama, Trump has appointed two Supreme Court Justices in his first term.
In Obama's first term, the former President oversaw the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the death of Osama bin Laden, and other achievements.
Trump has managed not to be removed from office.
People mocked Bartiromo's attempts to prop up Trump's presidency.
what’s left for SNL to do after this skit https://t.co/DnHpYdR3ya— George Conway, Noble Committee Chair (@George Conway, Noble Committee Chair) 1589505175.0
Remember for how many yrs ppl thought she was substantive & smart? These ppl (Barr, Pompeo) have been among us all… https://t.co/koEeuyZJoQ— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sherrilyn Ifill) 1589546969.0
Strong Dear Leader energy here https://t.co/C7rHS82J6e— Sean Illing (@Sean Illing) 1589510595.0
and they say the coverage of Obama was fawning? https://t.co/vSTYYvZENC— Ron Fournier (@Ron Fournier) 1589505981.0
The question was reminiscent of a state-run propaganda network.
Watch this. Can’t imagine they would air an interview like this with Vladimir Putin on state tv... https://t.co/WFNwXmsFsT— Susan Glasser (@Susan Glasser) 1589510103.0
State media watch https://t.co/0OeTuKP5M5— Brendan Nyhan (@Brendan Nyhan) 1589463533.0
Is there another country in the world in which a PRIVATE media company would ask such a question of a government le… https://t.co/WaQf02TisO— Michael McFaul (@Michael McFaul) 1589520877.0
They parodied her question with questions of their own.
"Quick followup, Mr. President: why are you so wise? Why are you so clever? Why do you write such excellent books?" https://t.co/tgTbRhg0gv— Laura Lorson (@Laura Lorson) 1589550825.0
“How do you manage to have the raw sexual energy of a young Robert Redford?” https://t.co/Gcf2Hyamri— Zaki Hasan (@Zaki Hasan) 1589545022.0
How did you get to be so handsome? Is that why everyone loves you so much? https://t.co/9BFJqT4YVE— Khashoggi’s Ghost (@Khashoggi’s Ghost) 1589507599.0
For a look into Fox's tactics, check out Foxocracy, available here.