President Trump took to Twitter on Sunday demanding Fox News reinstate Jeanine Pirro, who was suspended following her controversial statements on Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.
The president is defending Pirro, known to viewers as Judge Jeanine, after she did not appear on the air Saturday night. The network’s highest-rated weekend host has been widely criticized for her Islamophobic comments, but the president argued how Fox News has a duty to its loyal viewers to keep her on the air.
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“Bring back [Judge Jeanine Pirro],” the president wrote, beginning a string of three tweets on Sunday. “The Radical Left Democrats, working closely with their beloved partner, the Fake News Media, is using every trick in the book to SILENCE a majority of our Country. They have all out campaigns against [Fox News] hosts who are doing too well.”
Bring back @JudgeJeanine Pirro. The Radical Left Democrats, working closely with their beloved partner, the Fake News Media, is using every trick in the book to SILENCE a majority of our Country. They have all out campaigns against @FoxNews hosts who are doing too well. Fox …..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2019
“Fox must stay strong and fight back with vigor. Stop working soooo hard on being politically correct, which will only bring you down, and continue to fight for our Country,” he went on. “The losers all want what you have, don’t give it to them. Be strong & prosper, be weak & die!”
“Stay true to the people that got you there,” the president continued. “Keep fighting for Tucker, and fight hard for [Judge Jeanine]. Your competitors are jealous — they all want what you’ve got — NUMBER ONE. Don’t hand it to them on a silver platter.”
“They can’t beat you, you can only beat yourselves!” President Trump concluded.
During last weekend’s broadcast, Pirro suggested that Omar’s Islamic beliefs might stand in direct opposition to the U.S. constitution, but Fox News quickly condemned her statements. Her suspension was not publicly announced, though sources at the network confirmed it, according to CNN. The insiders added that Pirro has not been fired.
Omar has been under fire for her commentary on Israeli policy. The freshman representative from Minnesota suggested that lobbyist money pushes U.S. foreign policy to side with Israel against Palestine, which many pundits on both sides of the political spectrum took as an anti-Semitic sentiment.
The debate has caused a massive upheaval in the U.S., and the stress has hit in some unlikely places. In addition to Pirro’s suspension, the outrage spawned a controversial cartoon of Meghan McCain, and caused a confrontation between Chelsea Clinton and some New York City students.
Omar apologized for her comments over a month ago now, though she felt that her point still stands.
Listening and learning, but standing strong 💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/7TSroSf8h1
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 11, 2019
“Anti-Semitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes,” Omar wrote at the time. “My intention is never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole. We have to always be willing to step back and think through criticism, just as I expect people to hear me when others attack me for my identity. This is why I unequivocally apologize.”
“At the same time, I reaffirm the problematic role of lobbyists in our politics, whether it be AIPAC, the NRA or the fossil fuel industry. It’s gone on too long and we must be willing to address it,” she finished.
