Yahoo News Anderson Cooper calls out Fox’s Rupert Murdoch for stoking anger: ‘He profits off it’
On Thursday, CNN’s Anderson Cooper called out media tycoon and Fox Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch over the trailer release of Tucker Carlson’s new January 6th documentary insinuating the insurrection was created by the U.S. government. And while the inflammatory trailer has been met with bipartisan backlash and condemnation from other Fox News personalities such as Geraldo Rivera, Carlson wasn’t the main focus of Cooper’s message.
“This really isn't about Tucker Carlson,” Cooper said. “It's really about the empire that he works for that continues to pump poison into the media ecosystem. Poison that has, at times, violent and even deadly consequences.”
Cooper highlighted the violence at the Capitol on January 6th, discussed death threats towards the children of the Philadelphia City Commissioner for upholding election results, as well as the death threats directed at a Florida state senator battling cancer for asking the Florida Surgeon General to wear a mask while in her office.
“Why would something as simple as wearing a mask to be gracious and protect others be controversial enough to threaten to kill over if Fox and others weren't stoking the anger?” Cooper asked. “Rupert chooses to enable this. He profits off it. He does very well.”
Video transcript
ANDERSON COOPER: Rupert Murdaugh though, not exactly friendly with the former president, is nonetheless happy, it seems, to enable his lies and some of his marquee properties to amplify them.
KYLIE MAR: On Thursday, CNN's Anderson Cooper called out media tycoon and Fox Corporation chairman Rupert Murdaugh over the trailer release of Tucker Carlson's new January 6 documentary insinuating the insurrection was created by the US government. And while the inflammatory trailer has been met with bipartisan backlash and condemnation from other Fox News personalities such as Geraldo Rivera, Carlson wasn't the main focus of Cooper's message.
ANDERSON COOPER: This isn't really about Tucker Carlson. It's really-- it's really about the empire that he works for that continues to pump poison into the media ecosystem, poison that has, at times, violent and even potentially deadly consequences.
KYLIE MAR: Cooper highlighted the violence of January 6, discussed death threats towards the children of the Philadelphia City Commissioner for upholding election results, and the death threats directed at a Florida State Senator battling cancer who asked the surgeon general to wear a mask while in her office.
ANDERSON COOPER: Why would something as simple as wearing a mask to be gracious and protect others be controversial enough to threaten to kill over if Fox and others weren't stoking the anger? And again, Rupert Murdaugh chooses to enable this. He profits off it. And he does very well.
KYLIE MAR: Cooper even brought on Fox News' former chief political correspondent Carl Cameron, who left the network after more than 20 years because he believed it was spreading right wing partisan misinformation. And while he agreed with Cooper's accusations towards Murdaugh, he went one step further in suggesting major legal troubles ahead for Fox News.
CARL CAMERON: Those who continue to lie about our election processes and try to undermine the government, I mean, it used to be people would call that sedition or treason. And at some point, the Justice Department is going to start taking names.
