Fox Business Network host Maria Bartiromo on Thursday tried to gin up the latest performative outrage cycle in right-wing media, comparing to “bullet cases” the ceremonial pens Nancy Pelosi used to sign the impeachment articles.
The House speaker faced sharp criticism for allegedly treating the somber occasion of handing the impeachment articles to the Senate in a seemingly cheerful fashion: Pelosi handed out of the special pens to impeachment managers and chairmen in attendance, something more typical of celebratory occasions.
Bartiromo, who since joining Fox Business in 2013 has metamorphosed from respected financial journalist to unapologetic Trump booster, took the criticism several steps further, turning the ballpoint pens into the focus of a bizarre psychodrama.
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During the broadcast of her morning FBN show, the ex-CNBC reporter took to Twitter to point out how the pens looked like they could be part of a full metal jacket.
“These are the pens Nancy pelosi used to sign the articles & she gave them out to colleagues,” she wrote in the now-deleted tweet. “Wow they look like bullet cases. Join us now.”
Moments later, in an on-air segment with Karl Rove, Bartiromo awkwardly shoehorned her faux-outrage into a question for the ex-Bush aide.
“So the day was supposedly somber yet Nancy Pelosi, well, she was handing out pens to colleagues,” she declared. “We have a picture of those pens I want your take on this, the pens, look like bullet cases.”
“The Washington Examiner’s reporting that on the pen the word ‘United’ was spelled wrong,” Bartiromo added. “What is your take on yesterday’s happenings?"
Rove, for his part, largely ignored Bartiromo’s infatuation with the gold-point pens, instead saying he was a “bit taken aback” by the ceremony while focusing on House Democrats’ overall handling of the impeachment.
Following the segment, and Bartiromo’s seemingly failed attempt to create the right-wing outrage du jour, the FBN host deleted her tweet.
