Military Vets Want to Ban Fox News on Bases *
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A progressive veterans group has commissioned a new ad calling for Fox News to be banned on military bases, citing recent revelations made as part of a legal fight the network faces over its coverage of the 2020 election.
The two-minute ad from group VoteVets blasts the network for its leading hosts’ public embrace of former President Trump’s false claims of voter fraud despite their private acknowledgement the claims were false. A narrator for the ad says Fox engaged in “information warfare that divides the troops, hurts unit cohesion, weakens our readiness, and threatens our national security.”
The ad says, “There’s no excuse for allowing anti-American, anti-democracy anti-military disinformation in the barracks, in the chow hall or anywhere our troops serve.”
Fox is currently facing a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems, which alleges the network knowingly aired false claims about the company. Recent court filings show top hosts and executives at Fox throwing cold water on assertions about voter fraud being made by Trump and his top associates but worrying how the conservative media giant’s audience might be turned off by fact checks of those claims.
The network has so far unsuccessfully moved to have the case dismissed on First Amendment grounds. In response to the ad and the lawsuit, Fox stated, “Their efforts to publicly smear Fox for covering and commenting on allegations by a sitting President of the United States should be recognized for what it is: a blatant violation of the First Amendment.”
The VoteVets ad also highlights Fox News’ negative impact on the military, stating that the network’s coverage harms unit cohesion and weakens the country’s readiness. VoteVets is a progressive veterans group that advocates for progressive policies and supports Democratic candidates.
The ad comes at a time when Fox News is under scrutiny for its coverage of the 2020 election and the insurrection at the US Capitol. The network has been criticized for spreading misinformation and for giving a platform to conspiracy theorists.
It remains to be seen whether the ad will lead to any action being taken against Fox News on military bases. However, it is clear that the progressive veterans group is calling for a ban on the network and for it to be held accountable for spreading false information that harms national security.
