'That's your stink': Fox News' Neil Cavuto sweetly savages Trump for his pattern of falsehoods
President Trump's new admission that he paid for the Stormy Daniels hush agreement after all was apparently a bridge too far for Fox News host Neil Cavuto, who spent about 4 minutes on Thursday evening going back and chronicling Trump's history of presidential misstatements, falsehoods, and other euphemisms for lies. In between, he used a brutal more-in-sorrow-than-anger tone to reprimand Trump.
"Let me be clear, Mr. President: How can you 'drain the swamp' if you're the one who keeps muddying the waters?" Cavuto asked, launching into the first of several recaps of Trump's misstatements. "Now, I'm not saying you're a liar — you're president, you're busy — I'm just having a devil of a time figuring out which news is 'fake.' Let's just say your own words on lots of stuff give me, shall I say, lots of pause," he said before another barrage. "None of this makes me a never-Trumper, just always confused," Cavuto said, pointing out that Trump's tax plan will actually make him richer and his poll numbers are significantly lower than any of his predecessors. "That can change, but what's weird is this pattern does not."
"Now, none of this makes you evil, but I'm sure you can understand why even your friends say these inconsistencies don't make you look good or do anything to advance your policies, many of which are very good," Cavuto said. He listed some more "exaggerations and omissions and misstatements," adding: "But it's not what you are omitting, Mr. President, it is what you keep stating and never correcting." He ended with some interesting swamp metaphors: "None of this makes what you say fake, just calling out the press for being so, a bit of a stretch. ... I guess you're too busy draining the swamp to ever stop and smell the stink you're creating. That's your doing. That's your stink. Mr. President, that's your swamp." Watch below. Peter Weber
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Is there a peaceful way forward for Israel and Iran?
Today's Big Question Tehran has initially sought to downplay the latest Israeli missile strike on its territory
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Sudan, tackling homelessness and fake news
Podcast What is happening in Sudan? Could London really end rough sleeping? And why has Joe Lycett being making up stories?
By The Week Staff Published
-
Taylor Swift's surprise double album: an event of 'world-shaking proportions'
Why Everyone's Talking About Fans are 'reeling' after The Tortured Poets Department is followed by The Anthology – 15 additional tracks
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Peter Murrell: Sturgeon's husband charged over SNP 'embezzlement' claims
Speed Read SNP expresses 'shock' as former chief executive rearrested in long-running investigation into claims of mishandled campaign funds
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Mark Menzies: Tories investigate MP after 'bad people' cash claims
Speed Read Fylde MP will sit as an independent while party looks into allegations he misused campaign funds on medical expenses and blackmail pay-out
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Why Johnson won't just pass Ukraine aid
Speed Read The House Speaker could have sent $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine — but it would have split his caucus
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Sudan on brink of collapse after a year of war
Speed Read 18 million people face famine as the country continues its bloody downward spiral
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's first criminal trial starts with jury picks
Speed Read The former president faces charges related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How will Israel respond to Iran's direct attack?
Speed Read Iran’s weekend attack on Israel could escalate into a wider Middle East war
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US, Israel brace for Iran retaliatory strikes
Speed Read An Iranian attack on Israel is believed to be imminent
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Congress honors real-life Rosie the Riveters
Speed Read These American women reshaped the work force during World War II
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published