CNN host Jake Tapper struggled to hold back his laughter as he read out Fox News’ statement about its Dominion lawsuit settlement on April 19, 2023.
CNN
Jake Tapper laughed as he read out Fox News’ statement about its settlement with Dominion.
The conservative news network reached the settlement just before a trial was about to start.
Dominion sued Fox for broadcasting false claims that its machines were used to rig the 2020 election.
CNN host Jake Tapper burst out laughing as he reported the $787.5 million settlement Fox News reached with Dominion in the election machine company’s lawsuit against the network.
News of the settlement broke just before the case was about to go to trial, and Tapper had to pause several times as he read out a statement from Fox News.
—Mike Sington (@MikeSington) April 18, 2023
“I’m sorry this is going to be difficult to say with a straight face,” said Tapper, before reading out a section of the statement in which Fox claimed the settlement “reflects Fox’s continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards” and “allows the country to move forward from these issues.”
Tapper said the settlement “can only be interpreted as one of the ugliest and most embarrassing moments in the history of journalism.”
In a statement to Deadline, Fox News hit back, saying that “we can’t look at CNN’s awful ratings without laughing and we’re sure Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders feel the same way.”
—Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) April 18, 2023
Meanwhile, Fox News media host Howard Kurtz would not read out the huge figure when reporting on the settlement, saying that he’d been unable to “independently confirm” the amount.
Dominion sued the network for more than $1 billion for broadcasting false claims in 2020 that Dominion’s machines had been used as part of a vast conspiracy to steal the 2020 election from Donald Trump.
As part of the lawsuit, it obtained damaging private texts from Fox News hosts and executives in which they said the claims were false.
Fox News said it had been seeking to cover the claims as part of its discussion of the election, and that its comments were protected under the First Amendment.