At several points during his speech at CPAC on Friday, podcaster and former Donald Trump strategist Steve Bannon heaped scorn on Fox Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch and Fox News Channel, to wild cheers and multiple standing ovations from the MAGA audience.
Bannon went after the Murdoch family more than once, calling the billionaire an “oligarch” and bashing the family as “a bunch of foreigners” who’ve given America “nothing.”
As the speech continued the crowd got even more into it, especially when he attacked Fox News Channel specifically — first over the network’s infamous on the right decision to call Arizona for Joe Biden, and then for more recent transgressions such as cutting away from a Trump speech.
“Look at Fox News,” he said. “The president announces his – this is historic. A guy gave you four years of peace and prosperity, announces he’s going to run again after having it stolen in broad daylight of which they participate in — They don’t even, they cover it live for 20 minutes and then they say if there’s anything newsworthy, we’ll cut back, and they go to some panel and some discussion.”
“Note to Fox Senior management: When Donald J. Trump talks, it’s newsworthy,” shouted Bannon.
As he continued to trash the network’s coverage, demanded Paul Ryan be removed, and told “old man Murdoch” to quit giving “softball” interviews to Trump’s primary opponents, Bannon was repeatedly showered with applause and cheers from the audience.
Bannon referenced recent revelations about behind-the-scenes communications at the network in which high level personnel admitted disbelief in Trump’s elections claims, which were revealed as part of the Dominion lawsuit. He also brought up the topic of a “soft ban” on Trump and his family members.
“They don’t respect you, read the depositions,” he said. “They have a fear and loathing and contempt for you. And you’re the ones that can make changes.”
He closed out with a threat to Murdoch.
“Murdoch, you’ve deemed Trump’s not going to be president. Well, we’ve deemed that you’re not going to have a network,” he yelled as the audience stood again, waving, cheering, and applauding. “Because we’re going to fight you every step of the way!”
Prior to his CPAC appearance, Bannon appeared in court this week for a pre-trial hearing in the We Build the Wall fraud case. Last month a lawsuit was brought against him for unpaid legal bills by attorneys who represented him in several matters, including two federal cases, one of which resulted in a conviction.
What, what happened in the first week of January? You had Matt Gaetz and Boebert in the Magnificent Six that stood there and put it all on the line. And what did Fox News do? They rolled out Karl Rove and the hacks from the Bush administration that got us in this mess to say we need unity. We need unity. Look, we’re not looking for unity. We’re looking for victory.
Okay, Murdoch, here’s the way it’s going to be, brother: You’ve disrespected Donald J. Trump long enough. Okay? He goes to East Palestine and gets the Biden administration, it’s a global news event, and you don’t cover it live? Is there that much happening on Fox News at two in the afternoon that you can’t cover him live? He hasn’t been on Fox News since he announced for presidency.
Let me ask you. Any guy that brought peace to the world for four years until the Chinese let off a bioweapon. Right? Wouldn’t you think, to have respect for the audience, you would have him back up here to talk about the geopolitical … would, if you had respect for people, wouldn’t you do that? They don’t respect you, read the depositions. The deposition, they have a fear and loathing and contempt for you. And you’re the ones that can make changes.
The shareholders, if you want your share price to stay up, you need to take action. The first thing you need to do is get rid of Paul Ryan as an independent director. If Paul Ryan’s saying ‘if Trump wins, he’s not going to go,’ then you got to get rid of him. The Murdochs immediately have to start covering President Trump. No, no, no special deals. Just cover the man. Ask him the tough questions. But we need to hear the voice of Donald J. Trump.
Hey, and old man Murdoch, while you’re at it? Why don’t you, no more softball interviews for the guys running against him, and no more infomercials. Okay, play it straight. You play it straight. Donald Trump’s going to win the primary, and Donald Trump’s going to win the presidency.
Let me leave you with what Trump is up against. He’s not up against DeSantis or Nikki Haley or Mike Pompeo. He’s up against Ken Griffin and Mitch McConnell and Murdoch. Okay. They have deemed if he wins the primary, they’re going to work for the Democrats, just like they worked for Hillary Clinton. I was there. I can tell you they were in Clinton’s camp the entire way. All they are is about money.
And the only people can stop them on the face of the earth are you, you, and you. MAGA, MAGA, MAGA. Remember. Murdoch, you’ve deemed Trump’s not going to be president. Well, we’ve deemed that you’re not going to have a network! Because we’re going to fight you every step of the way.
Watch the clip above via the Conservative Political Action Conference.
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