Fox’s Doocy Defends Federal Investigation Of Americans’ Bank Records
Critics including 2024 GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump have accused Fox News of shifting its once conservative-leaning coverage to the left in recent years, and a plethora of examples provide a basis for such complaints.
Some of the evidence cited by former fans of the network originated on the long-running morning program “Fox & Friends,” where co-host Brian Kilmeade has engaged in some heated on-air arguments with prominent conservatives.
Fellow co-host Steve Doocy has also attracted such criticism, most recently when he took what many interpreted as a leftist stance in response to news that federal officials have been investigating ordinary American citizens based on their spending and banking habits.
A damning report compiled by the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government signaled that individuals believed to be sympathetic to Trump, and even those who purchased items from retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods, have been subject to federal probes.
Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) wrote: “According to this analysis, [the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network] warned financial institutions of ‘extremism’ indicators that include ‘transportation charges, such as bus tickets, rental cars, or plane tickets, for travel areas with no apparent purpose,’ or ‘the purchase of books (including religious texts) and subscriptions to other media containing extremist views.’”
During an on-air discussion of the development, however, Doocy not only seemed unconcerned about the implications but also blamed Trump for paving the way for the perceived privacy infringement by federal investigators.
Co-host Ainsley Earhart expressed a different opinion, asserting: “Basically, we don’t have any privacy. This is such an invasion.”
Her remark prompted Doocy to reiterate his apparent support for the government’s efforts to investigate private citizens because of the stores they visit.
“You know what Bass Pro, Cabela’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods all sell?” he asked. “Bear spray. There were a number of police officers, federal officers who were attacked, allegedly, and some people have been convicted since then because they used bear spray. You attack a federal officer, there’s going to be a federal investigation, obviously.”
Doocy continued making the Biden administration’s case during the segment, insinuating that if authorities did not violate the law, then Americans have no reason to complain.
“Ultimately, it comes down to did what this FinCEN do, was it allowed by law?” he asked.
