SECONDNEXUS
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George's Reads
Former President Donald Trump's lies about the validity of the 2020 election culminated in a deadly failed insurrection against the United States Capitol and an irrevocable toll on the public trust of America's democracy.
Yet that hasn't stopped Trump from continuing to claim to his followers that the election was "rigged," "stolen," and "compromised."
Most recently, Trump appeared in Dallas, Texas for the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), where he once again peddled his delusional election fantasies.
The former President said:
"The big tech election interference in 2020 was an outrageous assault upon our Republic and upon the American voter. Terrible thing has happened to our country."
He continued:
"In other words, the entire system was rigged against the American people and rigged against a fair, decent, and honest election."
Despite the Trump campaign's pressure on local election officials, its frivolous lawsuits, and press conferences riddled with disinformation, there is no evidence that widespread voter fraud took place—as was confirmed by Trump's own Justice Department.
Naturally, the conservative Fox News network aired Trump's CPAC speech, but this time something was different.
Throughout Trump's lame duck period, Fox hosts frequently amplified disinformation regarding the 2020 election. Eventually, the network—along with some of its hosts—was sued by Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic, the two election software systems whom Republicans baselessly claimed worked with Democrats to steal the 2020 election.
That's likely why Fox put a disclaimer in the chyron during Trump's speech once he started spewing his all-too-familiar election lies.
Fox News is so well aware that the voting fraud allegations are nonsense that they ran a disclaimer during Trump's… https://t.co/LcJLSIElow— Josh Jordan (@Josh Jordan) 1626043121.0
The disclaimer read:
"THE VOTING SYSTEM COMPANIES HAVE DENIED THE VARIOUS ALLEGATIONS MADE BY PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS COUNSEL REGARDING THE 2020 ELECTION"
But many thought that still wasn't enough.
Fox is still perpetuating The Big Lie even with this. It’s not only “voting system companies” who say Trump is lyin… https://t.co/dc4dv3OXZT— Chip Pate (@Chip Pate) 1626085886.0
This doesn't really count as a disclaimer... https://t.co/b7kHlHoDq2— Exploited Meathead (@Exploited Meathead) 1626075463.0
That disclaimer isn’t enough. https://t.co/GIl85jgW62— David Kister (@David Kister) 1626062976.0
@TheJusticeDept @FBI 👇🏻 @FoxNews is not absolved from pushing disinformation or inciting violence against the US Go… https://t.co/4znfQ1oZXk— Karin Nutt (@Karin Nutt) 1626088807.0
@NumbersMuncher @SpiroAgnewGhost That counts as a disclaimer?— Neil Clancy (@Neil Clancy) 1626043388.0
@NumbersMuncher Saying the voting system companies have denied etc, is a far cry from saying theses statements are false.— ConniS (@ConniS) 1626044116.0
Social media users soon began roasting the network.
@NumbersMuncher When @FoxNews thinks you lack this much credibility they usually give you a prime time slot.— John Himes (@John Himes) 1626043286.0
@NumbersMuncher Fox News is doing to my parents' generation what they were afraid gangster rap would do to ours.— Longhorn in Lubbock (@Longhorn in Lubbock) 1626063211.0
@NumbersMuncher I guess a $1.2B lawsuit against the GOP propaganda channel made them realize their lies have consequences.— Thor but not complaining (@Thor but not complaining) 1626064836.0
Fox has moved to dismiss at least one of the lawsuits, saying in a statement:
"FOX News Media is proud of our 2020 election coverage, which stands in the highest tradition of American journalism, and will vigorously defend against this baseless lawsuit in court."
People don't seem convinced.