Court Documents Show Fox News Hosts Aided Trump Election Claims

Newly released court documents in the $2.7 billion Smartmatic defamation lawsuit against Fox News reveal that several prominent Fox hosts, including Jeanine Pirro, Jesse Watters, and Maria Bartiromo, actively sought to support President Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results by promoting false voter fraud claims. Text messages show these hosts working closely with Trump allies and pushing narratives like 'Stop the Steal,' while Fox executives and research teams were aware that many of the claims were false. Fox News has defended its coverage as newsworthy and protected by the First Amendment, but the lawsuit highlights internal conflicts over fact-checking and editorial decisions. The network previously settled a similar Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit for $787.5 million. Critics argue that Fox News functioned as a propaganda arm for the GOP, radicalizing conservatives and enabling authoritarian tendencies, while others say Fox News covered stories mainstream media ignored, portraying the network as a key supporter of Trump’s political agenda. These revelations come amid ongoing scrutiny of Fox News’ role in the political polarization and misinformation surrounding the 2020 election.