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Fox News has come under fire for an absurd conspiracy theory alleging that the Omicron variant was created to make Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg President of the United States.
The conspiracy theory was floated over the weekend by the hosts of Fox and Friends, when co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy suggested that the new strain, first reported in South Africa, was created to further the Democratic agenda and Buttigieg's ambitions.
You can watch what transpired in the video below.
In tonight’s #ThatsWhatTheySaid, @AymanM sets the record straight on Fox & Friends' attempt to misrepresent Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg’s comments about the supply crisis, all while spreading a conspiracy theory about the Omicron variant. WATCH: pic.twitter.com/S5uxpinZ1L
— AYMAN (@AymanMSNBC) November 28, 2021
With no evidence whatsoever, Campos-Duffy claimed that the Democrats want Buttigieg to become President so they don't have to address supply-chain issues amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic:
"Pete Buttigieg, our transportation secretary, is potentially our new president in 2024, or so the Democrats want. [He] has said we can’t fix the supply chain problem until the pandemic is over, until COVID is over."
“And now we see these new variants. So that’s the answer: more lockdowns, more lockdowns, more fear and therefore he doesn’t have to do his job of fixing the supply chain because ‘we’ll keep this whole thing going.’”
Her co-hosts Pete Hegseth and Will Cain agreed, with Hegseth saying that “You can count on a variant about every October, every two years,” just in time for elections, and Cain suggesting that "variants could come more quickly.”
Many have criticized Fox News for promoting disinformation that has only undermined efforts to curb the ongoing pandemic.
@FoxNews is just PROVING day in and day out that their entire purpose is to DISTORT and LIE and SPREAD DISINFORMATION. They seriously think this is a giant conspiracy to explain away the supply chain issues? SERIOUSLY FOX??? https://t.co/fiA1U5g2QD
— Elanor Gardner (@Sams1stDaughter) November 28, 2021
Should not Fox have to call it Fox & Fools because of truth in advertising?? https://t.co/KqsT4i3Bjc
— Scott H. Burns (@GARPguy) November 29, 2021
Who are these "out to lunch" people?
Fox News Says Omicron Variant Exists to Make Pete Buttigieg President https://t.co/ptczeXz2Lp via @Yahoo
— J Edwin (@JEdwin6) November 30, 2021
So silly it's kind of funny, except that some people will believe this nonsense, and will not make medically sound decisions for themselves & their families. We don't need more needless suffering & death.
https://t.co/fmtvZ0kC1U via @Yahoo
— Leone Jose Bicchieri (@BicchieriLeone) November 30, 2021
Hilarious video of Fox & Friends Hosts suggesting that Democrats made up the Omicron variant to help future President Buttigieg.
You can tell these hosts follow a script:
- Attack Democrats
- Attack Sec Pete
- Push covid as a govt conspiracy.https://t.co/F2aPUyT6UT
— Dr. Doom (@allcapszoom) November 28, 2021
OK
I'll say it . . .
Regressives are like a room full of immature little brats in a sleepover trying to scare each other.
The difference is Republican morons buy it.
Rt
Fox News suggests Omicron COVID variant was created to make Pete Buttigieg president https://t.co/HuAUGDcKNj
— Jackson Medcalf-Eichholz (@askboomer1949) November 30, 2021
@FoxNews spreads more conspiracy theories as #Covid #Omicron spreads. This one is especially absurd as Dems will prob nominate @VP Harris if @POTUS Biden chooses not to run.
Absolutely disgraceful! https://t.co/nmpm0xhxTQ
— NoDMs/Psaki don’t go(he/him) (@BertzFredrick) November 30, 2021
ROFL. Why does anyone take that network seriously? It's as if the people there are competing to see who can get their followers riled up over the most nonsensical notion. https://t.co/siRyodt9Vq
— Mike 'First, Do Nothing' Ely (@taupehat) November 30, 2021
Can’t. Make. This. Shit. Up 🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️ https://t.co/mNfZGQlrwI
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) November 30, 2021
Last month, Buttigieg issued a sharp response to Republicans who've criticized him amid a global supply-chain crisis, the result of Covid-19 disruptions paired with a boom in demand.
As the head of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), Buttigieg oversees the nation's public transportation programs and infrastructure, which includes highway, railroad, and maritime shipping.
But in a press briefing on November 8, Buttigieg outlined how his duties have become more complicated because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international trade.
Buttigieg said:
"The bottom line is... it's not that the ports are moving less goods, that they've somehow been less able to move. They're moving more goods than ever. It's just that it's still not keeping up with demand."
Buttigieg added though the National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts "an all-time record high this year," there is still an "enormous pressure" system of international trade making disruptions to supply chains all the more apparent nationwide.
Though Buttigieg noted the COVID-19 pandemic "is poking holes" in supply chains, he said the most valuable thing people can do is get vaccinated against COVID-19.