Fox News’ Chief White House Correspondent: “Hillary Clinton Operates as a Shadow President”
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Holy cow, folks. This quote came from an exchange on Twitter earlier this week, and I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around it. I know that the instinct is to just shake your head and say, “that’s Fox News for ya,” but this unhinged conspiracy theory is emanating from the top of their news division—and Fox News does actually traffic in journalism sometimes. John Roberts is supposed to be part of the real news crew over on bullshit mountain, but his credibility as Fox News’ Chief White House correspondent took a major hit with this argument that he willingly put forth.
It all began with Barack Obama’s former National Security Council Spokesman, Tommy Vietor, subtweeting Fox News over yet another line of questioning focusing on Hillary Clinton. Fun fact: you’d never know this from Fox News’ coverage, but she actually is not president. Weird, right?
Asking Trump to comment on what Hillary said about the NFL is a stupid, clickbait question and a wasted opportunity to push him on real issues. Do better.
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) October 16, 2017
This angered Roberts, and we were off to the races.
I had already asked 2 policy questions. I assume asking @HillaryClinton to comment on Trump/NFL was similarly stupidly clickbait-ish?
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) October 16, 2017
I must have missed the part where Hillary Clinton was President and not just the permanent Fox News boogieman.
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) October 16, 2017
Lame. Try again
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) October 16, 2017
Right back at you. Fox has given Trump enough free PR. Would be great to see you guys actually cover the fact that he’s sabotaging the health care exchanges and allowing Puerto Rico to suffer.
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) October 16, 2017
Let’s see-I pointed out the healthcare exchange issue last week. And Puerto Rico problems the week before that. I’m the same guy who 1/2
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) October 16, 2017
2/2 used to interview Sen BO… But – @HillaryClinton has not yet left the stage-therefore what she says remains relevant to the discourse
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) October 16, 2017
That’s wrong. There are real, big important problems in the world. Some involve nuclear weapons! Asking about HRC’s thoughts on the NFL is boring Fox News culture war bullshit.
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) October 16, 2017
And what epithet would you use to describe HRC weighing in on it?Don’t engage in disingenuous claptrap. You know we cover all the big issues
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) October 16, 2017
Hillary can weigh in on whatever she wants. Doesn’t mean it’s worth asking Trump at a rare news conference. Fox News is an alternate reality where Tucker and Hannity function as an extension of the press office. It’s a joke.
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) October 16, 2017
And here is where this veers away from a substantive debate, as John Roberts removed his mask to reveal the rot hidden inside of Fox News. “Shadow president” is a phrase you expect to hear out of Infowars, not someone trusted with questioning the most powerful man in the world.
We’ll have to agree to disagree. As long as HRC operates as a “shadow President”, what she says carries relevance and weight.
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) October 16, 2017
No one outside of a Fox News editorial meeting thinks Hillary is operating as a “shadow President”…whatever the hell that means. https://t.co/cZx5e40WrO
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) October 16, 2017
If this wasn’t weird enough, all of a sudden Roberts brought up British politics—as if that was some sort of Trump card (sorry, I had to) that would prove his point.
I would think someone as learned as you would have a grasp of British politics and the concept of a ‘shadow’ leader and cabinet
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) October 16, 2017
I think I have a better grasp on the scare tactics Fox News uses to keep the focus on the Clintons and not on Trump’s disastrous leadership.
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) October 16, 2017
Perhaps you should broaden your horizons
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) October 16, 2017
Will do. Perhaps you can encourage your network to stop acting as Trump’s Pravda.
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) October 16, 2017
I know that Fox News is an alternate reality that exists solely to tell old, pissed-off white Americans that all their grievances are true and “those” people are to blame for their misery, but the word “news” still has meaning. Fox News has capital-J journalists like Chris Wallace and Shepard Smith, but their good work is constantly betrayed by the network—although usually it comes from the opinion shows that are simply an extension of the White House Communications office, not their Chief White House Correspondent.
Whatever he meant by it, Roberts’ framing of Hillary Clinton as a “shadow president” confirms every conspiracy theory that Fox News’ most unhinged viewers want to believe. He is the Chief White House Correspondent for one of the largest media outlets in the world, and he apparently has no problem openly winking towards whackjob conspiracy theories. If one of the more responsible members of Fox News adheres to this lunatic bullshit out in public, just imagine what the rest of that tire fire of a network believes.
Jacob Weindling is a staff writer for Paste politics. Follow him on Twitter at @Jakeweindling.