Fox News host Jeanine Pirro terminated a guest’s appearance on her show Saturday after he called out a lack of facts on her program and praised President Joe Biden.
Pirro refuted figures presented by her guest, prominent immigration attorney David Leopold, on the migrant surge at the U.S.-Mexico border. Leopold, who served as an advisor to Biden’s transition team, argued that there have always been ebbs and flows in migration, citing a surge that the U.S. saw during the Trump administration to push back on Pirro’s narrative that the Biden administration is “sending them in.”
“Jeanine, just because you say my numbers are wrong, doesn’t mean they’re wrong,” Leopold said.
“These are the facts!” Pirro insisted.
“They’re not facts Jeanine,” Leopold replied. “Very few things that I hear on this show tonight have been facts.”
Leopold went on to tell Fox News viewers that Republicans “don’t want the American people to think about” Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan ― which no Republican in Congress voted for.
“Because the Democrats came into power. President Biden kept his promise. He’s putting COVID relief out there. He’s making America better. He’s making America great again,” he said.
This prompted an eruption from Pirro, who interrupted, saying “I’m stopping you right there. I don’t tolerate lies on my show.”
“He is bringing COVID into this country after Americans weren’t allowed to go to work, go to church, or visit families, or go to funerals,” she said. “And now he’s bringing in a whole pandemic during a pandemic. David Leopold, thanks for being here, and thanks for nothing.”
Despite her claim she doesn’t tolerate lies, Pirro is one of three Fox personalities named in a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit accusing the company of repeatedly and falsely reporting that voting system company Smartmatic rigged the 2020 election.
She often espouses racist, anti-immigrant rhetoric, and earlier this month caused a stir when she claimed immigrants bring “all kinds of diseases” including COVID-19 into the U.S.