It appears a storm might once again be brewing within the Fox corporate family.
On Monday, Fox entertainment stalwart Seth MacFarlane called out an “insane” tweet from Laura Ingraham in which the Fox News anchor suggested The Washington Post “is rooting for the [coronavirus] shut down to continue indefinitely.”
The original Washington Post report notes that experts—including some in the White House—are skeptical about Donald Trump’s plan to reopen the U.S. economy by May 1. Several outlets have reported on experts’ concerns about such a plan.
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On Monday, Ingraham retweeted the newspaper’s story, writing, “The Washington Post is rooting for the shut down to continue indefinitely.” That’s when MacFarlane shot back.
“I really cannot fathom that we produce content for the same corporation,” MacFarlane wrote. “Laura, that is an insane remark. Everyone wants this to end. The sane among us are only trying to follow the lead of responsible science with regard to the timing. Please use your platform more responsibly.”
MacFarlane has been a golden goose for Fox, with series including Family Guy, American Dad! (which moved to TBS in 2014 after 11 seasons), and The Orville. But he has also criticized the company’s cable news arm before.
In 2018, MacFarlane and other Fox Entertainment creatives slammed Fox News for condoning the separation of migrant children from their families at the U.S. Southern border. Tucker Carlson had done a segment in which he told viewers, “If you’re looking to understand what’s actually happening in this country, always assume the opposite of whatever they’re telling you on the big news stations.”
In response, MacFarlane tweeted, “In other words, don’t think critically, don’t consult multiple news sources, and in general, don’t use your brain. Just blindly obey Fox News. This is fringe shit, and it’s business like this that makes me embarrassed to work for this company.”
