In case you missed it, Donald Trump has appointed Heather Nauert to replace Nikki Haley as U.N. Ambassador. According to the Washington Post’s Philip Bump, that’s extra-noteworthy because Nauert formerly worked for Fox News.
The Foxification of the Trump White House, visualized https://t.co/Zj8IsMNa2h
— Post Politics (@postpolitics) December 7, 2018
See, Bump can’t help but remark on the number of Fox News-affiliated individuals who serve or have served in the Trump administration:
That’s a remarkable bit of interplay between the administration and the network that is also the only one Trump has praised regularly since taking office, the one he watches the most and the one that’s the most popular with his base.
But the interplay of Fox News employees and contributors with the Trump administration and campaign certainly doesn’t end with Nauert, Shine and Hicks. At least 12 people have moved between the two worlds at some point since Trump’s inauguration.
Wow. Twelve people. That’s definitely remarkable … because, as Ari Fleischer points out, it’s significantly fewer media personalities than Barack Obama picked up in his administration:
More than 26 reporters went into the Obama Administration. I guess that was fine with the press back then, but not now. https://t.co/cKrsvTe3HR
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) December 7, 2018
Well, fancy that. According to our calculations, that’s a lot more than 12.
A count by @BrentHBaker in March 2015 had it at 30: https://t.co/2jkx6OoFzz
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 7, 2018
Thirty is definitely greater than 12.
To the UN?!
— Juliet Russell (@makemineaspritz) December 7, 2018
Ambassador to the UN, though?
— 2dachs (@2doxies1) December 7, 2018
In what roles, Ari? UN Ambassador?
— John Tonra (@WedgeAloha) December 7, 2018
There's a difference between just being in the administration and being the United States' UN Ambassador.
— Brad B. (@AFBaylorBear) December 7, 2018
Except Obama didn't appoint any of them UN Ambassador.
— Jon Maas (@jondmaas) December 7, 2018
Except he did. Remember Samantha Power? Former journalist.
It’s fine if you think it’s weird that several Fox News personalities have signed on with the Trump administration. But your finger-pointing doesn’t mean much if you didn’t say a word when Barack Obama pulled the same kind of thing.
Parting food for thought:
To be fair, most joined the administration without even leaving their positions. https://t.co/2iDmt18jAE
— David Harsanyi (@davidharsanyi) December 7, 2018
True story.
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with additional text and a tweet.
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