You know things are bad with Fox News when even conservatives are raking the network over the coals.
That's precisely what right-wing columnist Max Boot did this week to mark Fox News' 25th anniversary, which was October 7.
In a blistering op-ed marking the occasion, Boot called the network "poison" and blamed it for the high covid-19 death rate.
Boot's blunt takedown of the network appeared in The Washington Post yesterday and has caused quite a stir for its unflinchingly blunt excoriation of the network.
Boot opened his op-ed with a truly dark view into how the network impacted the pandemic.
"Last week, Fox 'News' Channel celebrated 25 years since its launch. More than 700,000 victims of covid-19 were not available for comment."
"Oh, I'm not suggesting that Fox is responsible for all, or even most, of the covid deaths..."
"What I am suggesting, however, is that the covid death toll is higher than it would have been if Fox did not exist."
It's hard to argue with Boot's thesis.
As he goes on to say, Fox News is the most-watched basic cable network in America, and has spent the better part of two years spreading disinformation about the pandemic.
Boot cited studies showing Fox News viewers are substantially less likely to take the pandemic seriously.
"A May 2020 study from the National Bureau of Economic Research, for example, found that 'a 10% increase in Fox News cable viewership . . . leads to a 1.3 percentage point reduction in the propensity to stay at home.'"
Boot also mentioned the network has consistently pushed anti-vaccine rhetoric, despite the fact the network itself has vaccination and testing requirements for its employees.
He then went on to discuss Fox's other disturbing content, like conspiracy theories and host Tucker Carlson's regular spreading of White supremacist material, charging the network with actively destroying the United States.
As he put it:
"Fox is poisoning the minds of millions of Americans..."
"Facebook may be catching up, but I can't think of any company that has done more damage to American democracy over the past quarter-century than Fox "News. That's nothing to celebrate."
On Twitter, Boot's op-ed definitely made an impression on people.
Boot is one of few Republicans who has outspokenly criticized American conservatives in recent years, including an op-ed earlier this week in which he said he does not believe the U.S. will remain a democracy if Republicans regain control of the government.
@lpeterp/Bluesky
@FPWellman/X
@bobsbeatgmail.com5/Threads