Hours After ‘Fox & Friends’ Suggests War With Syria Would Distract From James Comey Book, Trump Attacks Syria
Early on Friday, Donald Trump’s favorite show Fox & Friends suggested that an attack on Syria would distract from the upcoming book from James Comey. Within hours, Trump had ordered an attack on Syria with reports that he is pushing for a wider war.
As Raw Story noted, the Fox morning show is a favorite of Trump’s and he frequently tweets ideas he heard on the show. Some of the hosts and guests have even taken to speaking directly to the president, knowing there is a good chance he will be listening.
That appeared to be the case on Friday, when host Ainsley Earhardt suggested that if Trump were to strike Syria, it would push Comey’s book out of the headlines.
“If the president, and France, and the UK decide to strike Syria, don’t you think that story would be a bigger story than Comey’s book that’s going to be released on Tuesday?” Earhardt asked.
Comey’s book, set to be released next week, details many of the former FBI director’s interactions with Donald Trump. It comes as Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation seems to be closing in on Trump’s inner circle, with NBC News reporting that Mueller is ready to move forward with a report on Trump’s alleged obstruction of justice even if the president does not sit down for an interview.
While it was not clear if Donald Trump was watching Fox & Friends on Friday or if the suggestion played a role in his decision to order a missile strike against Syria just hours later, there have been past instances of Trump responding directly to the show.
Last year, shortly after Fox & Friends aired a segment critical of the renewal of the FISA ACT, Trump issued a sharp and shocking turnaround, breaking from the White House’s official position and opposing the bill. As Chicago Tribune columnist Rex Huppke noted, the incident made it appear that Fox & Friends held more sway over Donald Trump than even his closest advisers.
“What we’ve learned from this episode — one I’m sure Republican lawmakers who have spent months working to pass the reauthorization really enjoyed — is that Fox & Friends can get President Trump to do whatever it wants,” he wrote.
After Syria strikes, now what? | By Peter Bergen via @CNNOpinion https://t.co/sev7t5aQeO
— CNN (@CNN) April 14, 2018
While Donald Trump’s decision to strike Syria is now dominating the news cycle, it is unlikely to take all the attention away from James Comey’s book. An interview with the former FBI director is set to air on Sunday on ABC, and is expected to draw big ratings.
