While bashing other news networks like CNN and MSNBC as being “so horribly fake,” President Donald Trump praised Fox News’ coverage of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation — going so far as to call out individual anchors to express his thanks during a Wednesday interview on the conservative network.
Speaking to Fox News’ Sean Hannity over the phone, Trump singled out anchor Jeanine Pirro, who’s been off the air since making Islamophobic comments about Muslim congresswoman Ilhan Omar.
“I hope Jeanine will be back soon,” the president said.
Hannity responded that she would be “back Saturday.”
Pirro’s show did not air for two consecutive weeks after she sparked controversy for her remark that Omar’s hijab may be “antithetical to the United States Constitution.” Fox News has not explained the reason for Pirro’s absence and has refused to say whether the host was suspended.
Pirro has long been one of Trump’s most avid media supporters, and the president strongly advocated for her return, tweeting earlier this month that Fox News should “bring back” the anchor.
Trump told Hannity that he was grateful for so many hosts on Fox News for their coverage of the special counsel probe.
He singled out Mark Levin, Laura Ingraham, Jesse Watters, Brian Kilmeade, Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Hannity himself, whom Trump praised for his high ratings and “credibility.”
“I want to thank Fox,” the president said. “I want to thank some of those people I just named but also many others. They’ve been so fantastic to me, and really, to our country … They’re really amazing people, great people.”
In contrast, Trump said, CNN’s coverage of the Mueller investigation had been “so fake, so horribly fake.” The “same thing,” he added, could be said of MSNBC.