‘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’.
Fox host: Dropping MOAB is "what freedom looks like, that's the red, white, and blue."
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) April 14, 2017
Geraldo: It's one of my favorite things to watch. pic.twitter.com/E5X2lmTnSE
“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.
After years of frustration-it is satisfying to see big bombs blow up on the heads of bad guys-But #Moab will not win the war in #Afghanistan
— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) April 14, 2017
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."
A review of editorials on the #SyriaStrikes by @adamjohnsonNYC suggests that the media learned little from Iraq. https://t.co/ktbPPkFEOr
— Ben Spielberg (@BenSpielberg) April 13, 2017
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.
The American factory where the Tomahawk missile is manufactured. https://t.co/xSteJEow2U
— Gary Tuchman (@GaryTuchmanCNN) April 14, 2017
MSNBC’s Brian Williams caused outrage after he repeatedly described the Syria strikes as “beautiful” during a newscast.
Fareed Zakaria says missile attack shows Donald Trump "became President of the United States" pic.twitter.com/CoxwICOWg2
— Lee Fang (@lhfang) April 7, 2017
.@newtgingrich: "The decision to use the largest non-nuclear bomb that we have sent a clear signal of strength." #Hannitypic.twitter.com/7sy7Cs7JUd
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 14, 2017
READ MORE: MSNBC’s Brian Williams reviled online for describing cruise missile strike as ‘beautiful’