Fox News Anchor Slams Trump For Going After Colleagues: You’re ‘Putting A Target On Their Backs’
After President Donald Trump took the extremely rare step of publicly blasting two hosts from his favorite cable news network, one Fox News anchor returned fire and told the president that “[b]ullying journalists is not Presidential” and he was potentially putting those two in danger.
During the most recent broadcast of Fox News Sunday, chief White House correspondent John Roberts (filling in for Chris Wallace) and Washington correspondent Gillian Turner discussed the president capitulating on the 35-day government shutdown, wondering if Trump’s loss to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will impact the president’s talks with foreign leaders moving forward. Obviously watching Fox News’ Sunday evening re-broadcast of the program, the president tweeted that Roberts and Turner “have even less understanding of the Wall negotiations than the folks at FAKE NEWS CNN & NBC!”
Never thought I’d say this but I think @johnrobertsFox and @GillianHTurner @FoxNews have even less understanding of the Wall negotiations than the folks at FAKE NEWS CNN & NBC! Look to final results! Don’t know how my poll numbers are so good, especially up 19% with Hispanics?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 28, 2019
On Monday morning, Fox News anchor Julie Banderas went on a mini-tweetstorm defending her colleagues while criticizing POTUS for targeting largely impartial journalists.
@realDonaldTrump This is NOT right. I stand by my colleagues @johnrobertsFox and @GillianHTurner They don’t deserve this. No reporter does. They are doing their jobs and reporting the facts. They are not opinion journalists and deserve the respect from the @WhiteHouse they cover. https://t.co/ftRPauopjC
— Julie Banderas (@JulieBanderas) January 28, 2019
“This is NOT right,” she wrote. “I stand by my colleagues @johnrobertsFox and @GillianHTurner They don’t deserve this. No reporter does. They are doing their jobs and reporting the facts. They are not opinion journalists and deserve the respect from the @WhiteHouse they cover.”
Banderas responded to Twitter users who said the president had the right to express his opinion and criticizes reporters, telling them that POTUS shouldn’t be the one “lashing out” at the press because this is “not how this country works.” She added that Trump insulting Roberts and Turner on Twitter is “putting a target on their backs.”
We can and do stand plenty of criticism every day which is fine coming from everyday viewers. Our jobs are not meant to please others. But the office of the @POTUS ought not to be the one lashing out. That’s not how this country works. That’s not how Freedom of the Press works. https://t.co/buakHRRwPO
— Julie Banderas (@JulieBanderas) January 28, 2019
By going on Twitter and insulting two of our journalists @realDonaldTrump is putting a target on their backs. In turn his followers will then attack @johnrobertsFox and @GillianHTurner in support on Twitter. Bullying journalists is not Presidential. Period. https://t.co/xayShIojYj
— Julie Banderas (@JulieBanderas) January 28, 2019
I have always stood up for journalists no matter what network they work for. We all should support each other. https://t.co/ABE6UL7XRG
— Julie Banderas (@JulieBanderas) January 28, 2019
“I have always stood up for journalists no matter what network they work for,” Banderas replied when another user asked her where she was in the past when Trump was attacking other outlets and reporters. “We all should support each other.”
However, a cursory search of her Twitter account to see if she’s tweeted out defenses of other journalists or outlets that the president has directly attacked came up empty.
Meanwhile, despite chastising Fox News reporters Sunday night, the president was back to live-tweeting Fox & Friends Monday morning, quoting guests who heaped praise upon him and applauding certain states introducing Bible studies into public school curriculum.
In case you're wondering about the president's sudden interest in the Bible.
Left, Fox & Friends, 7:53 am
Right, Trump, 8:21 am pic.twitter.com/VynQvYQTJQ— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) January 28, 2019
Maybe he really watched the 60 Minutes interview, but he's tweeting now because Fox is reminding him about it.
Left, Fox & Friends, 8:11 am
Right, Trump, 8:41 am pic.twitter.com/BIjiDsbLTd— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) January 28, 2019
Left, Fox & Friends, 8:20 am
Right, Trump, 8:50 am pic.twitter.com/v8kGEdoQiB— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) January 28, 2019
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[Image via Fox News]
