During a recent town hall event broadcasted live by Fox News, former President Donald Trump's persistent assertions regarding the 2020 election results were met with immediate fact-checking by Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner. Trump reiterated his beliefs that the elections were manipulated by the Democrats during his discourse from his Mar-a-Lago estate. However, Faulkner was quick to clarify the situation by stating, "At the very beginning, you heard the former President talk about a stolen election. And while he may feel a certain way, the facts remain Joe Biden was declared the winner with 51 percent of the vote." She further emphasized that the election outcomes were certified by the states and Congress acknowledged those results, thereby eliminating doubts about their legitimacy.
Following this clarification, the conversation shifted towards upcoming electoral events, focusing on the November 5 elections. The town hall gained wider attention and was reposted on X (formerly Twitter) by Kamala Harris' campaign, highlighting the importance of this fact-check by Fox News. This comes in light of Trump's frequent criticism of the network and the broader impact faced by Fox due to their coverage of the 2020 election. In a related development, Fox reached a significant settlement by agreeing to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787 million to resolve defamation claims pertaining to the airing of incorrect statements that alleged voter fraud through manipulated software.
Similarly, Fox News is embroiled in legal proceedings with Smartmatic, another voting systems provider, due to claims by pro-Trump lawyers suggesting falsification of election results. Historically, Fox News has been known for airing panels of pro-Trump commentators and allies, often offering him a platform for interviews and discussions. However, the network did not shy away from applying scrutiny during their recent all-women town hall event in Forsythe County, Georgia, where Faulkner navigated through discussions with Trump on pressing issues like the child tax credit, economic challenges, and reproductive rights.
During this town hall, Trump made a controversial claim about being the "father of IVF," which drew a reaction from Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris. "What is he talking about?" she questioned on social media, citing that Trump's stance on abortion might threaten access to IVF in various states and potentially eradicate it as part of his policy agenda.
