A New York Times editorial on Tuesday said that Fox News is now operating as President Trump’s “propaganda arm.”
The Times made the accusation as it entertained a theory that the White House fired U.S. attorney Preet Bharara, an Obama appointee, because he may pursue legal action against Fox.
“… Mr. Trump, as president-elect, had personally asked Mr. Bharara to stay on during a meeting at Trump Tower in November,” said the Times in its editorial lauding Bharara’s service as a federal attorney. “So why fire him now? It has been reported that Mr. Bharara’s office is investigating whether Fox News, essentially the propaganda arm of the White House, failed to properly alert its shareholders about settlements with employees who accused the channel’s former boss, Roger Ailes, of sexual harassment.”
Trump’s replacement for Bharara will inherit the current investigation of the case and critics point to a potential conflict of interest, given Trump’s close relationship with former Fox CEO Roger Ailes.
Fox is well known for its right-leaning programming, and some of its more prominent opinion hosts, like Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly, are generally sympathetic to the White House.
