CNN’s Jake Tapper apologized to viewers for not being able to keep a straight face as he laughed while reading Fox News’s statement about the Dominion lawsuit settlement.
Video of Tapper:
CNN’s Jake Tapper can’t keep a straight face while reading Fox News’s statement about the Dominion lawsuit settlement. pic.twitter.com/wHJ6sfraDW
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) April 18, 2023
Jake Tapper said:
Fox trying to put a positive face on what can only be interpreted as one of the ugliest and most embarrassing moments in the history of journalism. Fox uh, issued a statement saying, quote we are pleased to have reached a settlement of our dispute. Dispute with Dominion voting systems. We acknowledge the court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false. \
The settlement reflects I’m sorry. This is going to be difficult to say with a straight face. This settlement reflects Fox’s continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards. We are hopeful that are just sorry. We are hopeful that our decision to resolve the dispute with Dominion amicably instead of the acrimony of a divisive trial. Allows the country to move forward from these issues.
Fox is trying to spin this, but the threshold for proving defamation is so high that Fox’s settlement is an admission of guilt. There had to have been a sizable chance that Fox News could have lost the defamation lawsuit.
The Dominion settlement is not the end of Fox News’s defamation problems.
Election technology company Smartmatic is suing Fox News for $2.7 billion, and they responded to the Dominion settlement by saying, “Dominion’s litigation exposed some of the misconduct and damage caused by Fox’s disinformation campaign. Smartmatic will expose the rest.”
Nobody believes what Fox News is trying to sell. Jake Tapper couldn’t keep a straight face while trying to report on it, and the problems are just getting started for Fox.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
