In a prime example of the alternate MAGA universe that Fox News presents its viewers, anchor Harris Faulkner lauded Donald Trump on Monday for supposedly “respecting the court” during the first day of his hush money criminal trial.
Faulkner’s remarks came after the former president raged to reporters outside a Manhattan courthouse, calling the case “an assault on America” and insisting he was subjected to a “political prosecution” that was unprecedented.
“And that’s why I’m very proud to be here,” he fumed to the press. “This is an assault on our country. And it’s a country that’s failing.”
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Trump, who has been charged with 34 criminal counts for allegedly falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to stay quiet about an alleged affair, is also facing potential sanctions for ignoring court orders. During Monday’s proceedings, prosecutors asked that Trump be held in contempt for violating a gag order with recent inflammatory social media posts.
Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy requested that Judge Juan Merchan fine Trump “$1,000 for each post that violates the court order,” asked him to “direct the defendant to take down the offending posts,” and also remind Trump that “further violations could result in jail time.” In fact, Conroy noted that one of the posts was made on Monday morning and it was “entirely possible it was done in this courthouse.”
While Trump has continued to blast Merchan online and requested the judge to recuse himself from the trial, Faulkner and other personalities at the conservative cable giant asserted that the twice-impeached ex-president had been extremely respectful of the court on Monday.
“One bottom line for Donald Trump today is that this is the weakest of the cases. No matter how he goes forward, it is rather uphill,” Faulkner stated during the midday panel show Outnumbered before referencing his courthouse remarks to the press. “I liked what he said earlier. I like when any defendant talks this way. ‘It is my honor. It’s a pleasure to be here.’ Respecting the court,” she added.
Turning to co-host Emily Compagno, the veteran Fox anchor said “I’ve heard you talk about that and the importance of doing that when you got a wall against you,” prompting Compagno to nod in agreement. “Right! And that he consistently does,” she exclaimed.
Later in the segment, Hudson Institute senior fellow and frequent Fox News guest Rebecca Heinrichs quoted a recent article by conservative pundit Rich Lowry to argue that the prosecution is the one actually disrespecting laws and norms.
“Donald Trump has regularly been accused as this president who is norm-breaking,” she proclaimed. “But here we have him, to Harris’ point, respecting the court, walking in, respecting what the court is going to do, respecting the institution while you have the prosecutor doing all of the norm-breaking. Quite the contrast!”
