Yesterday, presidential hopeful Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) appeared on Fox News to discuss his electoral platform. While one might have expected the avowed democratic socialist to be met with hostility by the right-wing network’s audience, he ended up getting a surprisingly enthusiastic response from the crowd.
Specifically, the Americans in the studio were vocally and energetically supportive of his Medicare For All proposal, a clear sign that much of the country, including conservative voters, are tired of Republican efforts to make it more difficult for people to get affordable, reliable healthcare. Donald Trump promised to repeal Obamacare and replace it with something better but has failed miserably, succeeding only in weakening the Affordable Care Act in places, and neglecting to suggest any kind of viable alternative.
Bernie Sanders spent more than 2 minutes of his Fox News town hall to defend Medicare for All and attack Trump’s Medicare plans — uninterrupted. Not sure I’ve seen that happen on Fox News before. pic.twitter.com/kuONJdbcB3
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) April 16, 2019
Fox News tried to prove that people like our dysfunctional, profit-driven health care system. But they couldn't hide the truth: the American people want Medicare for All. pic.twitter.com/d40vOHIWqd
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) April 16, 2019
As most people are aware by now, President Trump spends an inordinate amount of his time glued to the television watching Fox News, basking in the sycophantic coverage and undeserved praise which the hosts constantly lavish on him. It’s comfort viewing for his pathetic ego and diseased mind, so one can imagine the horror he must have felt when he saw Senator Sanders, a man who represents everything he opposes, getting such a warm response on Fox. Now, he’s responded.
Trump took to Twitter this morning to say that it was “so weird” to see Sanders on Fox News, presumably because when the president flips on his favorite channel he’s looking to have his confidence boosted not damaged. He trotted out the extremely lazy derogatory nickname “Crazy Bernie,” an ironic moniker coming from a man who can barely string a sentence together and whose mercurial nature is well known.
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He added that it wasn’t surprising to him that host Bret Baier and the “audience” were so “smiley and nice.” For some reason, he put the word audience in quotations. Is he implying that it was not, in fact, an audience? Or that Fox packed the studio with Bernie supporters? If that’s what he means, it’s a whole new level of paranoia for him. There is no reason why Fox, the most deranged right-wing network in the country, would want to make Bernie look good. At this point, Fox is little more than a pro-Trump propaganda factory.
Trump ended the tweet by slipping in a complaint that Donna Brazile, a former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman, who now works as a Fox contributor. Clearly, the president is afraid that he’s losing his sweaty, spray-tanned grip over the network.
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So weird to watch Crazy Bernie on @FoxNews. Not surprisingly, @BretBaier and the “audience” was so smiley and nice. Very strange, and now we have @donnabrazile?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 16, 2019
For a few hours, it seemed that Trump would let it go with a single panicky tweet. But this White House occupant has never been one to let things go — especially when it comes to his beloved TV and propaganda friends at Fox. Trump followed with an obsessive three more tweets in less than a half hour:
Many Trump Fans & Signs were outside of the @FoxNews Studio last night in the now thriving (Thank you President Trump) Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, for the interview with Crazy Bernie Sanders. Big complaints about not being let in-stuffed with Bernie supporters. What’s with @FoxNews?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2019
Bernie Sanders and wife should pay the Pre-Trump Taxes on their almost $600,000 in income. He is always complaining about these big TAX CUTS, except when it benefits him. They made a fortune off of Trump, but so did everyone else – and that’s a good thing, not a bad thing!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2019
I believe it will be Crazy Bernie Sanders vs. Sleepy Joe Biden as the two finalists to run against maybe the best Economy in the history of our Country (and MANY other great things)! I look forward to facing whoever it may be. May God Rest Their Soul!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2019
Most of the responses to Trump’s original distressed tweet were brutal:
Even his best friend, Mr. TV, is betraying him. https://t.co/eBQ1yI8CrX
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) April 16, 2019
You scared?
— Ana Kasparian (@AnaKasparian) April 16, 2019
Interesting to refer to Fox News as "we"
— David Pakman (@dpakman) April 16, 2019
You are now attacking Fox News???
Has hell just frozen over?
or
Do you realize the Mueller report will be so damning that even Fox news will report negatively about it, therefore you are getting ahead of it?
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) April 16, 2019
This tweet practically shows the sweat marks on your spray tan. Oddly enough, I don't hate you. I pity you and those who follow you. It's like watching a bunch of spider monkeys getting excited by that one special monkey that's flinging shit everywhere.
— #COYS Johnathan Bane (@savrasbane) April 16, 2019
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Grab another MyPillow, a trash bag of of quarter pounders and be on your way you demented old ham
— Rogue WH Snr Advisor (@RogueSNRadvisor) April 16, 2019
Not as weird as a president who does nothing but watch FOX News.
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) April 16, 2019
Speaking of so weird, why does our president watch tv all day?
— Jason Haber (@jasonhaber) April 16, 2019
Who is "we" ?? Are Fox News and the presidency one entity?
— Sergio Siano (@sianoresist) April 16, 2019
Due to the president’s self-constructed information bubble of Fox News, Twitter trolls, and Hannity phone calls, he’s unlikely to see much of the Democratic presidential contenders in 2019 unless they appear on pseudo-state news network. But as we get closer to Election Day 2020, and the real leaders from the left command increasing attention, you can expect far more panicked tweets from the toddler-in-chief.