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14 Apr, 2017 17:16

‘What freedom looks like’: Fox News gushes over US mega-bomb blast in Afghanistan

‘What freedom looks like’: Fox News gushes over US mega-bomb blast in Afghanistan

Fox News is the latest US news network to raise eyebrows over its enthusiastic celebration of the Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) in Afghanistan. The bombing was cheered by presenters on the show ‘Fox and Friends’.

“And that’s what happens when a 21,000lb bomb explodes in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region where at least 36 ISIS fighters have lost their life,” ‘Fox and Friends’ host Brian Kilmeade said on Friday.

“That is what freedom looks like,” fellow host Ainsley Earhardt said. “That’s the red white and blue.”

“Well, one of my favorite things in the 16 years I’ve been here at Fox News is watching bombs drop on bad guys,” Fox News contributor Geraldo Rivera added.

The Afghan Defense Ministry said no civilians were killed by the MOAB, and that the blast resulted in the deaths of up to 36 presumed terrorists.

READ MORE: Devastating capabilities of mega-bomb raise questions over official death toll 

Fox’s joy at the sight of bombs is nothing new. The network’s hosts and guests echoed positive coverage in the immediate aftermath of the blast.

A guest on Thursday’s ‘Hannity’ show praised the president for leading “from the front, not from behind,” while Newt Gingrich said "the decision to use the largest non-nuclear bomb that we have sent a clear signal of strength."

The network joins much of the US media in cheerleading and celebrating recent military operations under the Trump administration.  

The Tomahawk missile strikes against a Syrian government airbase on April 6 were met with a chorus of support from much of the US media, with many Trump critics lavishing praise on the president over his willingness to carry out attacks.

CNN even visited a Tomahawk missile factory on Thursday, while host Fareed Zakaria claimed “Donald Trump became President of the United States” as a result of the missile attack.

MSNBC’s Brian Williams caused outrage after he repeatedly described the Syria strikes as “beautiful” during a newscast.  

READ MORE: MSNBC’s Brian Williams reviled online for describing cruise missile strike as ‘beautiful’

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