The Media Research Center is not the only ConWeb outlet that engages in Heathering — the practice of lashing out at right-wing allies for the occasional lapse in peddling right-wing narratives. WND’s favorite Heathering target are its fellow right-wingers at Fox News, and Joe Kovacs lashed out in an April 12 article:
The U.S. Department of Justice is going to war with Fox News, claiming the digital division of the media giant engaged in “poor journalism” for a “patently false” story alleging Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche pitched himself to replace Pam Bondi upon President Trump’s firing of her as the nation’s top cop.
On Saturday, Fox News reported: “Blanche huddled with President Donald Trump in the hours after Pam Bondi was forced out last week to make his pitch for the job full-time, Fox News Digital confirmed.
“Blanche was encouraged by top White House officials to speak with the president while other names, like Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, briefly circulated as possible contenders, two sources familiar told Fox News Digital. During that conversation, Blanche has made his case for why he should be the next attorney general.
[…]Later on Saturday, Emily Covington, public affairs director for DOJ, told Fox News that Blanche had never pitched himself to Trump, and Fox never bothered to seek comment.
“Fox never reached out to DOJ for comment on this patently false accusation from two ‘sources.’ At no point did Todd Blanche pitch himself to the president. He was told he would serve as Acting AG, that is all. Anyone who claims another conversation took place is misinformed at best or purposefully lying at worst,” Covington said.
Given that Blanche was, in fact, nominated and confirmed as attorney general, it seems that someone’s lying — and it’s not Fox News in this instance.
Three days later, Kovacs helped Trump attack Fox News:
As the race for California governor heats up with the high-profile departure of former Congressman Eric Swalwell, President Donald Trump on Wednesday slammed the Fox News Channel for giving on-air coverage to billionaire Tom Steyer, one of several Democrats vying to replace Gavin Newsom for the Golden State’s top job.
“Why is FoxNews showing SLEAZEBAG Tom Steyer, doing a big piece on him right now, and probably putting him ‘into play,’ instead of talking about Republican Candidates, and really good ones like Steve Hilton, and Republicans?” Trump askedon Truth Social.
“How can a Republican expect to win that State, with their Mail In Voting and Rigged Elections, when you have FoxNews promoting the Democrats?
“Nobody cares about Tom Steyer, he is a LOSER, but Fox is making it possible for a guy like this to win. VOTE FOR STEVE HILTON, AND TURN CALIFORNIA AROUND!”
Kovacs made no attempt to contact Fox News for a response, though he did note that Hilton “appeared on ‘The Faulkner Focus’ Wednesday to slam Steyer’s immigration stance as ‘insanity'” and that “Fox’s coverage of Steyer has hardly been positive.”
Kovacs parroted another Trump rant in a May 10 post:
President Donald Trump, who has had no problem criticizing Fox News in recent months, is now saying one member of Congress should be banned from the network unless it has an “‘anchor’ who is capable of disputing his lies.”
The congressman in question is U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and the anchor Trump apparently has a problem with is White House corresepondent Jacqui Heinrich, who interviewed the Democrat on “The Sunday Briefing.”
“The Sleazebag, Radical Left Congressman from the failed State of California, Ro Khanna, should not be allowed on FoxNews unless you have an ‘anchor’ who is capable of disputing his lies, one after another, and closing down his FAKE (Bullsh**!) narrative,” Trump said on Truth Social.
[…]Trump got even more vicious against Heinrich and Fox News in a follow-up post Sunday evening, saying: “You could listen to FoxNews all day long, absolutely devour it, but then, when you hear SLEAZEBAGS, like Congressman Ro Khanna, ‘a wolf in sheep’s clothing,’ LIE, LIE, LIE, AND LIE AGAIN, without any pushback, or competent rebuttal from an anchor, in this case, Jacqui Heinrich, the entire Common Sense dialogue that has been going on all day at Fox is completely obliterated!
“Why would Fox put SCUM like this on, or others, such as Low Rated Bill Maher, who gains ‘credibility’ by constant referral to him as though he were a Liberal source of ‘Wisdom,’ or very Low IQ Hakeem Jeffries, who considers the Supreme Court ‘illegitimate,’ and probably hates our Country. No matter how ‘Fair and Balanced’ the day’s News at Fox may be, the end result is destroyed by professional Liars, Conmen, and Liberal, Crooked Politicians. This is why MAGA Republicans, who are actually close to 100% of the Party, hate Fox, despite the wonderful contributions made by so many of their great anchors and commentators. Hard to win Elections like this!”
Again, Kovacs failed to give Fox News an opportunity to respond. He gave Trump yet another platform to bash Fox News in a May 20 article:
President Donald Trump continued broadcasting his vocal disdain for Jacqui Heinrich of Fox News on Wednesday, directly attacking the reporter and her fiancé, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.
While speaking to journalists at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Trump ignored a question posed by Heinrich about Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, telling other media present: “Her husband votes against me all the time. I don’t know what’s with him.
“You better ask him what’s with him. She’s married to a certain congressman.
“He likes voting against Trump. You know what happens with that? Doesn’t work out well. I don’t know why he does.”
Jim Hoft at the Gateway Pundit explained Fitzpatrick, who represents the Bucks County area north of Philadelphia, “has earned his reputation as a classic establishment squish.”
Kovacs refused to give Heierich an opportunity to respond,or explain why he put his faith in the opionion of the discredited activists at the Gateway Pundit.
That’s not all. In April, Kovacs hyped the case of a “top Fox News Media executive” who “has allegedly been caught on hidden camera bragging about spending thousands of dollars at strip clubs and then charging it to corporate credit cards,” as covertly recorded by right-winger James O’Keefe, then touted the executive being fired a couple days later.