Since its debut in 1996, Fox News has been a flashpoint for controversy. However, despite this (or, perhaps, because of it) Fox is the most-watched news channel in the United States.
In the decades it has been on the air, Fox News has been accused more than a few times of peddling misinformation or straight-up lying on air. While that has been the case sometimes, in other instances, people have wrongly attributed quotes and views to Fox News. And don't get us started on the numerous satirical pieces about the channel that people took as gospel truth!
Today, we're taking a look at some of the times people accused Fox News of lying and what's really going on behind these controversies. Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction when it comes to 24/7 news!
In a quirky twist on "Fox & Friends Sunday" in 2019, Pete Hegseth vowed to say out loud the thoughts he usually kept to himself. True to his word, he claimed he hadn't washed his hands in a decade because "germs are not real" if invisible.
The internet resurrected his statement in 2021, sparking laughter and disbelief. Hegseth later semi-backtracked, suggesting he was jesting and chiding the media for their earnest outrage.
In a humorous geography blunder on Nov. 19, 2020, Fox News host Sean Hannity inadvertently promoted Michigan's Upper Peninsula to part of Canada during a discussion about election recounts.
Social media buzzed with the screenshot of this cartographic mix-up, leaving the Detroit Free Press and Yoopers (Upper Peninsula locals) to gently remind everyone that their beautiful, mineral-rich land remains firmly in the U.S., not Canada. Fox News corrected the map the next day, but not before giving everyone a good chuckle and a quick lesson in U.S. geography.
On April 20, 2020, a "hot mic" video from the White House briefing room featuring Fox News reporter John Roberts and New York Times photographer Doug Mills joking about COVID-19 as a "hoax" went viral, amassing more than a million views. Despite the buzz, the exchange was nothing more than gallows humor between colleagues — a casual chat misconstrued as a bombshell revelation.
Roberts clarified the conversation was in jest, pointing out the absurdity of claiming COVID-19 is both a hoax and something they've been vaccinated against, especially since no vaccine existed then. The moment underscored how easily humor can be lost in translation online.
In a wild twist of fake news, a photo claiming to show U.S. soldiers excitedly greeting President Donald Trump in Afghanistan, supposedly aired by Fox News with a glaring "Universal Studios" sign in the background, buzzed through social media in November 2019.
Plot twist: The image was a digital fabrication, not a Fox broadcast blooper. The real deal, snapped by Olivier Douliery, captured genuine cheers at Bagram Air Field on Thanksgiving Day — with no Hollywood set in sight. This saga serves as a reminder: In the digital age, even the most earnest moments can be given a mischievous edit.
In a quirky mix-up that had social media buzzing, Fox News honored the legendary "Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin, with a tribute that mistakenly featured Patti LaBelle in the background. This graphic gaffe, following Franklin's passing on Aug. 16, 2018, showed LaBelle belting it out at a 2014 White House event.
Fox News quickly stepped up with an apology, aiming to celebrate Franklin's illustrious career but instead sparking a blend of confusion and amusement. It was a well-intentioned homage that hit a slightly off-key note, reminding us all that even icons aren't immune to a case of mistaken identity.
In a whimsical twist on social media, a parody account claimed in 2023 that Fox News reported former U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago was facing foreclosure by Deutsche Bank. The internet buzzed with curiosity, but a closer look revealed it was just satirical flair — no actual foreclosure in sight.
Interestingly, Mar-a-Lago's financial roots trace back to a loan from Chase Manhattan, not Deutsche Bank. It's a reminder to double-check before you dive into the digital drama pool.
In a whirlwind of satire that took social media by storm, Fox News host Kennedy humorously blamed Biden for "letting" Hurricane Hilary into the country during an August 2023 broadcast.
The jest suggested that the tropical turmoil, the first to hit California since what Kennedy quipped was the start of Biden's Senate career in 1939 (a playful nod to his age, despite him being born three years later), was somehow Biden's America at work. While some were swept up in the comedic cyclone, others recognized it as a gust of political satire. It's proof that even hurricanes aren't immune to a little fake news fun.
In a scene straight out of a political satire, Fox News gave viewers a split-screen spectacle: former U.S. President Donald Trump, fresh from pleading not guilty to charges related to mishandling classified documents, spoke from his New Jersey golf resort, while President Joe Biden commemorated Juneteenth at the White House.
Amid this dual oratory, a cheeky chyron appeared, dubbing someone a "wannabe dictator." It vanished after 20 seconds, leaving Fox News to offer a cryptic "it was addressed" explanation. This fleeting moment of TV mischief, confirmed by reputable sources and archived footage, was a true testament to the unpredictability of live news.
In a playful twist of media mischief, an image circulated on social media in late January 2021 claiming to show a Fox News chyron under Sean Hannity declaring, "JOE BIDEN HAS BEEN PRESIDENT FOR NINE HOURS AND 400,000 AMERICANS ARE DEAD." Sharp-eyed viewers spotted the "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" logo, revealing the image as a comedic jab from the Comedy Central show.
The spoof aimed to mimic how Hannity, a staunch Trump supporter, might report on Biden's presidency, poking fun amid the serious backdrop of COVID-19 fatalities that marked the end of Trump's term.
In December 2017, Fox News aired a holiday graphic that unintentionally read "Treason for the Season," thanks to an awkwardly placed cross. This festive faux pas, captured during a "Fox & Friends" segment, sparked playful speculation on social media about subliminal messages regarding Robert Mueller's investigation into U.S. President Donald Trump's Russia ties.
The original message, "Reason for the Season," aimed to highlight a poll on Americans' desire for a Christ-centered Christmas but instead gifted the internet with endless jokes about Fox News' graphic-design choices and a merry mix-up that keeps on giving.