Dana Perino joined the growing list of Fox News hosts taking heat for appearing to cast doubt on claims of election fraud by President Trump’s legal team.
The host of “The Daily Briefing” came to her own defense on social media after she was shredded for allegedly suggesting Dominion Voting Systems could sue the president’s lawyers for defamation after the accusations they leveled at a Thursday press conference.
Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani and other members of Trump’s legal team revealed disturbing allegations about the company supplying the machines and software used in several U.S. states for the 2020 election, citing foreign corruption that helped taint the results in favor of Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
Perino followed up on the press conference with a discussion of the stunning revelations with former White House chief of staff Karl Rove, who also seemed to stop just short of dismissing the claims as conspiracy theories.
(Source: Fox News)
Following Rove’s comments, Perino noted that Dominion had denied the allegations in a statement. But in her own comments, Perino interjected additional doubts, stating that the lawyers were “smearing an American company” and questioned if a lawsuit could not be on the horizon.
“They just put out a statement completely denying all of it. And I wouldn’t be surprised if they decided to take some sort of action against this because, as you said, they have had these allegations out there smearing an American company,” Perino said. “Are they going to take it to court? And where would they take that to court?”
Rove reasserted that the allegations need to be proved in court, as if Trump’s lawyers were not aware of the next steps, and suggested Dominion “could claim that these statements were made publicly and hurt their business or some other place.”
Perino was immediately called out on Twitter where users have been excoriating Fox News Channel for its shift in coverage of Trump and his battle over the election outcome.
“Dana Perino is now urging Dominion to sue Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani in the latest edition of ‘Watch our Ratings Burn,'” podcaster Matt Couch tweeted.
Trump attorney Lin Wood reacted with a tweet on defamation law and calling Perino “foolish.”
I know defamation law. Defamation law is a friend of mine. Dominion is not going to sue anybody because TRUTH is an absolute defense.
Plus discovery in the case will open the cookie box to even more evidence that Dominion interfered in our US Election. @DanaPerino is foolish. https://t.co/oyiTIHixKz
— Lin Wood (@LLinWood) November 19, 2020
Reactions poured in slamming Perino for her comments.
I’m cannot believe @DanaPerino told Dominion to sue @RudyGiuliani and Sidney Powell.
I can’t believe you Dana, you’ve always been one of my favorites.
WAS
— 💥👉Red Hat Pitbull👈💥 KNOWS 💥 (@GroveKilosdad73) November 19, 2020
After the press conference Dana Perino had the strangest look in her face I’ve ever seen. My husband and I were big fans. She told Karl Rove Dominion that they needed to sue our President and his legal team. It was not so much what she said but how she said it. It was shocking !
— Di (@di_dirose) November 20, 2020
Alexa..please show me media fear.
“FOXNews (Dana Perino) said Dominion should sue Sidney Powell and Rudy.Wow…has any business ushered in their doom any quicker?
FoxNews is a dumpster fire. pic.twitter.com/o3Si2S1C8u
— Barry Cunningham (@barrycunningham) November 19, 2020
Perino jumped in to clarify her remarks in response to one tweet from actor Nick Searcy.
This isn’t what I said. I said I wouldn’t be surprised if they sued.
— Dana Perino (@DanaPerino) November 20, 2020
Some came to her defense, however.
What did @DanaPerino say – exactly – the quote – that has so many people upset? For the record, she has been extremely fair with me when others in the media were not.
— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) November 19, 2020
No way @DanaPerino would be unfair, Bo. She is graceful and tells the truth – even that which others might not wish to hear.
— Kathleen Knudsen (@mommage8386) November 19, 2020
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they [Dominion] decided to take some kind of action.”
That’s it. That is ALL she said.— Venus Infers (@gypsyluc) November 20, 2020
The anger at Fox News was not only focused on Perino, however, as reporter Kristin Fisher was also slammed for saying much of what Giuliani presented at the press conference Thursday was “simply not true.” Host Tucker Carlson felt the ire of viewers as well after he called on Powell to prove the allegations she had made, and during a segment on “The Five,” Geraldo Rivera slapped down his co-host Jesse Watters who delivered a straightforward assessment of the presser.
Rove was also under fire for his heated reaction to the Trump legal team during his appearance on Perino’s show.
“These are serious and I think, somewhat, strange accusations,” he told the Fox News host, adding that Giuliani and Powell have “an obligation to go to court and prove them.”
Karl Rove stops just short of calling the conspiracy theories espoused by Giuliani and Powell crazy pic.twitter.com/8uqFhQ3AAC
— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) November 19, 2020
“They have an obligation to go to court and prove these or the American people will have every reason to question their credibility,” Rove added, echoing the strange criticisms from others who seem to think the press conference was a dumping ground of information and no legal follow-through is planned.
“So, I’m not going to say that they don’t have proof. But they better come up with proof and go to court because these are serious allegations that basically say our election was manipulated by a combination of foreign and domestic actors and stolen,” Rove said. “That cannot be left just simply out there is it needs to be either proved or withdrawn.”
Karl Rove attempts to put the toothpaste back in the tube that he squeezed and squeezed and squeezed.
— Chris Friedrich (@cjmonchfred) November 20, 2020
@KarlRove just showed his hand. Deep State!
— Brian Schexnaydre (@BShakes1) November 19, 2020
Karl Rove and Dana Perino are defending Dominion on Fox right now.
They are all scared now folks.
— CBLCRSHR (@cblcrshr) November 19, 2020
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