Donald Trump: Fox News ‘Wasting Airtime’ on Buttigieg Town Hall

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg addresses supporters at a campaign event
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

President Donald Trump ripped the Fox News Channel on Sunday, stating it was “wasting airtime” by broadcasting a town hall event with 2020 Democrat White House hopeful Pete Buttigieg.

“Hard to believe that @FoxNews is wasting airtime on Mayor Pete, as Chris Wallace likes to call him,” the president tweeted. “Fox is moving more and more to the losing (wrong) side in covering the Dems. They got dumped from the Democrats boring debates, and they just want in.”

President Trump wrote in a follow-up tweet that Fox News “forgot the people … who got them there,” and took aim at Fox News Sunday host Christopher Wallace’s remarks about the South Bend mayor. “Chris Wallace said, ‘I actually think, whether you like his opinions or not, that Mayor Pete has a lot of substance…fascinating biography,’” he said. “Gee, he never speaks well of me — I like Mike Wallace better … and Alfred E. Newman will never be President!”

In April, President Trump slammed Fox News for hosting a town hall with White House contender Bernie Sanders (I-VT), accusing the network of packing the audience with Sanders supporters. “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,” the president said. “Big complaints about not being let in-stuffed with Bernie supporters. What’s with @FoxNews?”

Buttigieg made headlines Sunday evening after declining to endorse state-imposed limits on abortion, arguing the mother should be allowed to make all decisions on the matter.

“I think the dialogue has gotten so caught up on where you draw the line, that we’ve gotten away from the fundamental question of who gets to draw the line, and I trust women to draw the line when it’s their life,” he told Wallace, the host of the town hall event in Claremont, New Hampshire.

Ahead of his town hall appearance, Buttigieg slammed Fox News personalities in a statement to supporters defending his decision to appear on the network.

“I strongly condemn the voices on Fox and the media that uncritically amplify hate and the divisive sort of politics that gave rise to the presidency. Their goal is spread fear and lies, not serve as honest brokers with the American people,” Buttigieg said in a statement shared to social media without naming any employees of the network.

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