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Donald Trump has defended Fox News host Jeanine Pirro after she made Islamophobic comments about congresswoman Ilhan Omar ’s hijab.
Pirro’s show Justice With Judge Jeanine did not air over the weekend, while the network’s schedule for next Saturday also omits the programme.
The president tweeted on Sunday about the host’s absence, saying she should be brought back.
“The Radical Left Democrats, working closely with their beloved partner, the Fake News Media, is using every trick in the book to SILENCE a majority of our Country,” Mr Trump wrote.
“Fox must stay strong and fight back with vigor. Stop working soooo hard on being politically correct, which will only bring you down, and continue to fight for our Country. The losers all want what you have, don't give it to them.”
President Trump's most shocking attacks on the mediaShow all 16 1 /16President Trump's most shocking attacks on the media President Trump's most shocking attacks on the media "You are fake news!" Then President-elect Trump directed this insult to CNN's Jim Acosta while refusing him a question at a press conference on January 11 2017. The President-elect's anger was due to the publishing by Buzzfeed of unverified memos that implicated Michael Cohen in Russian collusion. CNN had reported on a briefing of Obama and Trump on the memos by US intelligence chiefs, but knowing the content to be unverified had not revealed it
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President Trump's most shocking attacks on the media Access denied for major publications Protesters gathered outside of the New York Times office after Trump's White House barred a number of publications from attending a press briefing on February 24 2017. Just hours after the President had again denounced the media, then Press Secretary Sean Spicer denied access to news outlets such as CNN and the New York Times, while permitting Breitbart News, CBS, Fox and others
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President Trump's most shocking attacks on the media "The most powerful TV show in America" On July 27 2017, President Trump quoted a New York Times article about Fox & Friends. The President is known to watch Fox & Friends every morning, often tweeting about matters discussed on the show, leading to speculation over its influence on his outlook and policies
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President Trump's most shocking attacks on the media "It's frankly disgusting the way the press is able to write whatever they want to write" In a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on October 11 2017, President Trump suggested that the press ought not to be allowed their constitutionally secured freedom. He added "people should look into it", suggesting that he also doesn't respect the protection of sources. At the time, he was angry at an NBC report claiming that the President had expressed a desire to return the size of the US' nuclear arsenal to its 1960s height, a claim that he and others in his administration dismissed as fake news
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President Trump's most shocking attacks on the media "negative (Fake)" In a tweet on 9 May 2018, President Trump conflated negative reporting about him with fake news
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President Trump's most shocking attacks on the media "anonymous source" = fiction President Trump claimed that any report citing anonymous sources is fiction. The protection of sources is a vital matter of press freedom, without it a potential source's fear of repercussions could lead them to withhold important information
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President Trump's most shocking attacks on the media "I would never kill Journalists" For any journalists frightened by President Trump's attacks on the press, perhaps you can take solace in his words from a campaign rally in Grand Rapids on December 21 2015. Responding to remarks over Vladimir Putin's handling of journalists, Trump stated: "I hate some of these people, but I'd never kill them... I'll be honest - I would never kill them. Uhhh lets see.. no, I never would"
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Fox News has “strongly condemned” Pirro’s commentary on Ms Omar, a first-term Democratic representative from Minnesota .
She had questioned if the congresswoman’s decision to wear a hijab was “indicative of her adherence to Sharia law, which is in itself antithetical to the US Constitution”.
Fox said the comments did not reflect the network and it had addressed the issue with her, but did not specify what action had been taken.
Ms Omar, a practicing Muslim who was born in Somalia before moving to the US as a child, thanked Fox for its statement.
Writing on Twitter, she said no one’s commitment to the constitution should be questioned because of their faith or country of birth.
Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Pirro said her intention had been to start a debate, but that being Muslim did not mean someone did not support the Constitution. She has invited Ms Omar on her show.
Usually a frequent tweeter, the Fox News host has been absent from the social media site since her comments first aired.
Additional reporting by AP
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