Fox News's Infamous Role in Trump's Warmongering
TEHRAN (Defapress) - An Analysis of U.S. Foreign Policy Developments and How International Conflicts Are Reflected in Mainstream American Media Reveals Complex Dimensions of the Confrontation Between Diplomacy and Warmongering Approaches. In the meantime, analyzing the role of media supporting the current U.S. administration and hardline factions becomes doubly important, as these media outlets sometimes guide public opinion and political decision-makers toward dangerous paths by presenting distorted images.
The following analysis has been prepared by the "Responsible Statecraft" think tank. This research and analysis meticulously examines the media approach of the Fox News network in the form of covering the regional war in Iran, showing how the structure of this network's programming attempts to persuade public opinion and Trump himself toward military actions and sideline diplomacy through the dissemination of exaggerated narratives. Reading this report helps to gain a better understanding of the media backdrop behind recent warmongering efforts.
The full text of this analysis is as follows:
Fox News has always acted as the media arm of the Republicans, especially during times of war; however, the network's coverage of the regional war in Iran has been exceptionally aggressive and, in many respects, detached from reality, presenting its viewers with an overly distorted picture of what Trump has done in Iran.
This decision appears to have been an editorial choice by Fox News to convince its audience, whose average age is 55, that the Iranians cannot be negotiated with or trusted, and that war was and remains the only option. A broad array of the network's hosts and guests continue to insist that Trump's military campaign has been a resounding success (a success that, according to independent and observable reports, has not been achieved) and that he must simply continue the war and finish the job.
Of course, Fox News's current rhetoric differs slightly from the assertive regime-change narrative the network had crafted before the onset of the regional war.
Mark Levin, one of Trump's favorite hosts on the network, was a pioneer of the narrative asserting the necessity of launching a war against Iran. Weeks before the regional war in Iran, he stated on his show "Life, Liberty & Levin": "If we do not act decisively with our military against the head of the Iranian regime, Iran will certainly construct nuclear weapons just like North Korea. And if it acquires nuclear weapons, Tehran will not hesitate to launch intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads against American cities."
By sharing these types of arguments from Levin and others on the social media platform "Truth Social," Trump prepared Fox News viewers and the American public at large for war.
However, after the start of the regional war in Iran, Laura Ingraham, a veteran host on the network, redefined the conflict using a classic neoconservative spin. Ingraham said: "This war is essentially between those who believe America is good and those who fundamentally believe America is corrupt and evil."
Naturally, Ingraham's statements have been interpreted by critics as a form of projection; critics believe that Fox News is attempting to nip any criticism regarding the war in the bud and is encouraging the Fox audience to label anyone who opposes Trump's actions as "un-American."
Following Trump's failure to achieve his goals in the initial days of the regional war in Iran, Fox News hosts shifted their approach, attempting to prepare public opinion for the continuation of the war while instilling calm in their audience. Jesse Watters, with his usual confidence, stated on March 25 that the Iranians were losing their firepower.
Watters also continued his efforts to convince Fox News viewers of the imminent collapse of the Iranian government, stating: "Every day that our bombers fly unchallenged in the skies over Iran, the Iranian regime loses its power even more."
These remarks were made at a time when time was running out for the United States; the Islamic Republic of Iran remained in power despite joint U.S. and Israeli attacks, the Strait of Hormuz was blocked by Iranian armed forces, and strategic oil reserves and U.S. air defense stockpiles were rapidly depleting, yet relentless U.S. and Israeli attacks had little impact on diminishing Iran's missile and drone inventories.
Under such circumstances, General Jack Keane, who is known as Fox News's primary military expert, continued to beat the war drums. Like other experts and hosts on the network, he believed that the Iranians could not be trusted, asserting that Iranians are liars and would not abide by an agreement even if they made one.
General Jack Keane remains adamant in his hawkish stance even now, declaring on Fox News weekend programs that when Trump accepted the ceasefire, he was on the brink of victory. He also believes that the United States should extensively bomb Iranian infrastructure, including bridges, roads, and airports, and move toward overthrowing the Islamic Republic of Iran with the help of CIA and Mossad intelligence services.
By inviting guests to repeat and endorse hawkish positions, the network creates an "echo chamber" and disseminates its intended propaganda. Maria Bartiromo hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for an interview on July 26. The Fox News host asked Netanyahu how the regional war in Iran would end, to which Netanyahu responded that the end of this war is possible only with American support and participation in another round of extensive strikes.
Marc Thiessen, a prominent neoconservative and Fox News contributor, is another advocate of escalating tensions between Iran and the United States. Thiessen, who was not previously a Trump supporter, attracted the MAGA political movement during the regional war in Iran by painting attractive pictures of simple paths to victory in the war.
In an episode of "Special Report" broadcast on July 23, Thiessen claimed: "Winning this war is very simple; we have about 14 days of combat during which we must destroy all existing targets. We destroyed 85 percent of their military-industrial base, and in a new round of attacks, we can bring this destruction to 95 percent. We can set back all their nuclear programs and bury the nuclear dust deeper, then stop military operations, resume the blockade, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and then move toward overthrowing the Iranian regime."
Another Fox News program addressing the escalation of tensions in the West Asia region is the network's morning show "Fox & Friends," which covers news of the regional war in Iran. Recently, the show hosted Sid Rosenberg, a pro-Israel radio host. He presented the argument that military action is the only path forward for the United States to overcome Iran, stating: "Despite Trump's reluctance toward extensive military action against Iran, it seems inevitable in order to prevail over Iran."
Nevertheless, the round-the-clock warmongering on Fox News has had little impact on the general public, apart from a percentage of fanatic and elderly Republicans. However, the network's role as a source of validation for Trump could give him the necessary confidence to escalate tensions.
If Fox News supports every military action Trump takes, Trump might operate under the misconception that the American public supports continuing the war. This misconception could turn into a devastating miscalculation and bring about decisions that carry dire consequences for the United States.
