Fired Fox News Producer Says She Was Told Maria Bartiromo Could ‘Go Wild’ on Show: ‘There Will Be No Fact-Checking Today’

Like a lot of people on Tuesday, Jimmy Kimmel was very disappointed that the defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News ended in a settlement. But Kimmel didn’t just call out Fox News which, all things considered got a pretty good deal. He also dinged Dominion for abandoning the high-minded justifications it insisted were behind the lawsuit.

Let the gloating begin.

Fox News has settled Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against the Rupert Murdoch-owned organization, averting a lengthy, expensive and certain to be embarrassing trial.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Fox Corporation and Dominion Voting Systems agreed to settle a much-discussed $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit mere hours after a jury had been seated to consider the matter in Delaware’s Superior Court. Attorneys for the two sides had been set to deliver opening statements to the jury. But that activity was delayed Tuesday after Judge Eric M. Davis called for a lunch break. “The parties have resolved their case,” the judge said. The legal case had already generated intense scrutiny, with documents, emails and texts from senior Fox executives and well-known Fox News anchors and hosts all suggesting many people at the company knew they were disseminating conspiracy theories around the 2020 presidential election and Dominion Voting’s role in it.

First Amendment implications.Fox is accused of defaming Dominion’s immediately following the 2020 presidential election, when some of the network’s guests and hosts suggested that the Denver company’s voting machines had been hacked or compromised. The network has stridently denied any wrongdoing, saying it was merely reporting what was being said by newsmakers – including Donald Trump and his shrinking circle of lawyers, including Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani – who were pushing the unfounded claims.Dominion scored a series of early victories in discovery and pre-trial filings, from embarrassing revelations about behind-the-scenes discord at the network’s promotion of zany election conspiracy theorists down to the sloppy “discovery misconduct” of Fox’s lawyers on the eve of trial.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Rupert Murdoch can breathe easy for at least one more day. The judge overseeing the much-scrutinized defamation trial brought against Fox News and its parent, Fox Corp., has delayed its start by a day, according to a statement issued by Delaware’s Superior Court, where the case is being heard. The decision is sure to raise speculation that the two sides may be seeking a settlement. “The Court has decided to continue the start of the trial, including jury selection, until Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. I will make such an announcement tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. in Courtroom 7E,” Judge Eric Davis said in a note Sunday evening.

The start of the Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation trail against Fox News that was to start Monday has now been delayed until Tuesday.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor The greatest show Fox News may ever put on is about to start. Imagine a Fox News program that utilizes the talents of the no-nonsense news anchor Bret Baier along with those of the opinion host Tucker Carlson. One that also puts anchor “The Five” mainstays Dana Perino and Jeanine Pirro into the mix, along with business anchor and commentator Maria Bartiromo. One that features possible appearances by Fox News executives like Suzanne Scott, the CEO of the operation, and Jay Wallace, its top news executive. A program that tops it all off with a potential cameo by Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, two of the controlling shareholders of Fox News’ media-conglomerate parent, Fox Corporation.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Brian Stelter is getting ready to write a new chapter in his ongoing analysis of Fox News Channel. The former anchor of CNN’s “Reliable Sources” is gearing up for “Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for American Democracy,” a look at the Fox Corp. cable outlet’s trajectory following the 2020 election and through the much-scrutinized defamation trial brought against it by Dominion Voting Systems. That court proceeding is slated to open Monday. “Network of Lies” is billed as a sequel of sorts to Stelter’s 2020 book “Hoax,” which offered a deep look behind the mechanics of how Fox News Channel produces its news coverage and opinion programming. Stelter’s new book proposes to examine how Fox News proceeded after the election of President Joe Biden and how it oriented itself after President Donald Trump left office. The book, published by One Signal, an imprint of Simon & Schuster’s Atria division, is scheduled to debut in November of 2023.

Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced today that Fox News will host the first official Republican debate of the party’s 2024 presidential primary race in August in Milwaukee.

As Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion lawsuit against Fox News heads to a trial next week, the judge in the case placed limits on what attorneys can and cannot bring up before the jury.

New polling from ABC News and Ipsos shows former president Donald Trump’s favorability ratings collapsing in the aftermath of his April 4 arraignment and indictment the week prior. Breaking down the numbers, which saw a four-point dip to 25% favorability, “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski said Tuesday that Trump is “dropping like a rock,” and Willie Geist said the number is so low that he’s “starting to dip into being a fringe political candidate.”“If his legal issues don’t take him off the ballot, maybe his poll numbers will,” Brzezinski quipped on her daily MSNBC program.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor As Fox Corp. prepares to fight a looming and high-profile defamation case, it has agreed to settle another. The company, which owns Fox News, has reached a confidential agreement to resolve a defamation case levied against it by Venezuelan businessman Majed Khalil that alleged Fox News and former host Lou Dobbs had harmed Khalil’s reputation by stating he and three others developed programs and machines to rig the 2020 presidential election. “This matter has been resolved amicably by both sides. We have no further comment,” Fox News said in a statement after being contacted by Variety. A letter filed Saturday to Judge Louis L. Stanton of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York informed authorities that the parties in the case “have reached a confidential agreement to resolve this matter. The parties anticipate filing a joint stipulation of dismissal with prejudice early next week.”

Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update” with Colin Jost and Michael Che took multiple swings at Fox News and Donald Trump on the show.

UPDATE: CNN cut away from Donald Trump’s post-arraignment at Mar-a-Lago shortly before it ended, with anchor Anderson Cooper calling it a “reprise of every grievance” by the former president.

indictment on criminal charges came down on Thursday are being dismissed by one Fox News pundit as just an example of how Trump was able to become president in the first place.Former congressman and Fox News contributor Jason Chaffetz appeared on Howard Kurtz’ “MediaBuzz” Sunday to discuss the 34 counts that Trump faces allegedly falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. The conversation eventually turned to Trump’s fiery response on his Truth Social site, calling Manhattan District Attorney a “degenerate psychopath.” After reading back Trump’s comments, Kurtz asked Chaffetz if those comments worry him, to which the former Republican politician responded with dismissiveness. Chaffetz on Trump’s Death and Destruction post: I'm sure every attorney would advise their client, just don't say anything, but that's not Donald Trump, and that's why America loves the guy pic.twitter.com/g03mgDbbMV“Look, Donald Trump is always going to take the nonconventional way of doing things.

Rupert Murdoch was eager to make a call and effectively — and emphatically — declare Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential race as vote counting continued three days after election day, internal Fox News emails show.The Fox News Decision Desk played a pivotal role in the turn of events that was 2020 Election Night, calling the state of Arizona for Biden many hours before any other media outlet.But it was Murdoch who encouraged Fox News leadership to pull the cattle brand from the fire and call things for Biden on Nov. 6, with several states still counting votes, emails made public Friday by Dominion Voting Systems in its $1.6 billion defamation case against the network show.“It would be great if we call it for Biden as soon as he gets over, say, 35,000 ahead in Pennsylvania,” Murdoch wrote.

 Unless Rupert Murdoch and Fox News settle soon, Dominion Voting Systems will have its day in court in its defamation case against the combative conservative cable newser.

former president Donald Trump’s indictment, giving its panel of Fox News mainstays plenty of room to have unfiltered, knee-jerk reactions in real-time. Jesse Watters, for one, was visibly angry, and warned that the “country’s not going to stand for it.”“People better be careful, and that’s all I’ll say about that,” the “Jesse Watters Primetime” host said.

Selome Hailu The news of Donald Trump’s indictment has come as a shock to many — including someone in the studio at Fox News. A surprise alert came during the telecast of Fox News Live on Thursday: “We have just gotten word,” said anchor Sandra Smith. “Former president Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in New York. Trump was under investigation by the D.A.’s office for his alleged hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 campaign.” As Smith gave the announcement, a voice on a hot mic was heard gasping, followed by someone saying “What?” and “Hmm!” It is unclear whether the exclamations came from one, two or three different voices.