Last week after Elon Musk announced he would be leaving his role in the Trump administration Fox News ramped up its hero worship of the eccentric billionaire to hyperdrive.

For months Fox News has aggressively tried to promote Elon Musk as a selfless patriot who loved his adopted country so much that he donated his time and energy to cutting government waste, fraud and abuse to save the United States from the beast of overwhelming debt.

The network portrayed his relationship with Trump as if they were as close as brothers. Musk became a main character on the network who was even compared to the Marvel comic book hero Iron Man.

Despite the feverish PR campaign to make Musk into a beloved figure most Americans, including Republicans, still don’t like him or his non-congressionally approved wannabe government agency DOGE - the Department of Government Efficiency.

Unlike Trump who has the charisma and oratory skills of a seasoned snake oil salesmen on an Atlantic City boardwalk Musk is dull and strange. He speaks with an accent that is not quite British but somehow more pretentious than a high brow cut-glass Oxford graduate with a decaying manor home, a scandal filled family tree and a noble title.

His countenance and facial expressions often look artificial due to excessive plastic surgery. Musk’s personal life includes a string of divorces and a small army of children, at last count at least 14, he’s had with his ex-wives and random women.

He’s identified as a “cultural Christian” which would not impress most of Trump’s evangelical followers. Musk also committed one of the greatest sins of the MAGA universe - he tried to upstage their glorious leader.

In February the two staged a press conference in the Oval Office where Trump sat with fallen shoulders while Musk held court as his five-year-old child X openly taunted the president.

Musk also inexplicably flashed what looked like a Nazi salute not once but twice at a Trump rally. He also backed an extremist political party in Germany and he urged Germans to move beyond the guilt of their past which many believed was a reference to the Nazi era.

He also slashed the funding of agencies that were investigating his companies and somehow didn’t cut a dime from the large government contracts he directly benefits from.

The New York Times recently reported on Musk’s excessive use of ketamine, Ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms. It’s also rumored that Musk has frequently fought with other cabinet members including having a physical altercation with at least one of them.

When Musk announced he was leaving his position at DOGE last week he looked visibly defeated, high on some type of stimulant, and sported a large black bruise under one eye.

Other major stories on Fox last week include a presidential pardon for two wealthy white reality stars, more hysteria over former Biden’s cognitive ability during his presidency, Trump’s continued attacks of Harvard University and general trashing of the Democratic Party.

Anyone watching Fox News exclusively last week might not know of the desperate situation faced by most of the civilian population in Gaza or the massive protests inside Israel against Bibi Netanyahu’s administration on behalf of the plight of the hostages still trapped in the region.

The Shows I Covered on Fox News Last Week:

• Fox & Friends - All three hours on Thursday and Friday

• The Five

• The Ingraham Angle

All Hail the DOGE King

On Thursday during “Fox & Friends” Ainsley Earhardt praised Elon Musk at length.

“He risked so much to save you money. And because people hate Trump so much, they decided they hated Elon, even though they were. They loved him before because he developed the EVs and did a lot for the environment. So, that just tells you there is Trump Derangement Syndrome. And they wanted to take down his company. So, he's leaving to go back to the company and get things in order. We wish him all the best.”

On Friday Laura Ingraham included an extended monologue about Musk complete with media clips of journalists and pundits criticizing him.

“Okay. So, it's the personal attacks, the physical attacks on Tesla. They were intended as a message beyond Elon and to any other tech or business mogul thinking about supporting someone like Trump in the future. It was a warning shot across the bow. Hey, you step into the ring. You donate time and money to politics, especially a conservative, and we're going to destroy you . . .So, President Trump was 100% right today when he said that Elon's service to America has been without comparison in modern history. Musk is the richest man on the planet. We all know that. But this cost him billions and losses and sent his company's shares plummeting. Liberals are so crazy. They went from driving Teslas with environmental pride to vandalizing them with sharp objects. And now, if Democrats regain control of the House next year, you can bet that they're going to start launching investigations against Musk and try to do to him what they tried to do to Trump, put him in jail.”

The Reality of DOGE Cuts

According to reporting by The New York Times, CBS News, CNN, and The Atlantic the DOGE website “Wall of Receipts” is riddled with accounting errors.

During Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign Musk promised to cut $2 trillion of the $7 trillion federal budget. Soon after he got to work on DOGE Musk lowered that amount to $1 trillion.

His latest claim of $150 to $160 billion in DOGE driven government savings also seems more like a fever dream than reality. Even $150 billion would be about 85% less than his $1 trillion in promised savings.

A few of the problems experts found on DOGE’s website and in its other claimed savings.

• Billion-dollar accounting errors

  • The worst mistake was a $8 million dollar savings that was written as $8 billion.

  • Some of these mistakes have been corrected but others have not.

• Claims of canceled contracts that were ended during Biden’s presidency or even as far back as George W. Bush.

• Claims of canceled contracts to companies and nonprofits that were NOT canceled.

• Lawsuits

  • In many cases federal employees who were illegally terminated due to DOGE cuts have sued the government only to receive full backpay.

  • The government is also still incurring mounting legal fees even in the cases its won.

• DOGE did not include any documentation to support about 60% for its promised savings on its website.

• Cuts to IRS and other revenue generating agencies will lead to lower income over time

  • Plans to cut the IRS workforce by 40% could forego $323 billion in tax revenue over the next decade due to declines in compliance and audits according to an estimate by the Yale Budget Lab.

  • Cuts to health and science research could cost $16 billion according to researchers at the University of Maryland and University of Pennsylvania.

  • Cuts to the Department of Education could lead to lower collection of student loan payments.

• Partnership for Public Service estimates DOGE could end up costing the government more than it saved.

• Government spending has increased 9% so far in 2025 than in 2024.

  • Most of the increased spending is due to Americans living longer which increases spending in Social Security and Medicare

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Jessica Tarlov Brings Musk Down to Earth

On Thursday Jessica Tarlov, a liberal voice on “The Five,” pointed out how waste, fraud and abuse in the U.S. government could be handled properly.

“The solution is a Democratic redux from the 90s, where you have a DOGE master, and it could be Elon Musk that gets together and works city administration and also works with Congress and does all of this,” said Tarlov.

“Well, why was this one wrong?” asked her co-host Greg Gutfeld.

“Well, because he took the proverbial chainsaw, then a lot of times the courts would overrule him. And frankly, the GOP wasn't interested in codifying any of his cuts So that's the problem,” said Tarlov.

“And we know what they're wrong for that. But I'm asking you what was wrong with what he did?” asked Gutfeld.

“Because he wasn't paying attention to what he was cutting, which is why they had to reinstate all these people from the folks who work for the weather services to the nuclear scientists. He kind of woke up and started slashing things or sent baby “Big Balls’ out there, and they didn't know what they were doing. And it's going to turn out that only $9 billion of the $175 billion that he originally touted, which was supposed to be $2 trillion, are actually going to be in this reconciliation package. And what the Democrats are arguing, and what I think you couldn't deny, is that it's reckless at this moment to ram through trillions of dollars in tax cuts for the wealthy when you haven't cut any of the spending, which is why Ron Johnson right now is a no. Rand Paul is a no. And they don't have the numbers for this,” said Tarlov.

Big Balls is a nickname for Edward Coristine a 19-year-old college student and computer programer who works for DOGE.

Tarlov continued.

“And I'm not saying that the Democrats are going to get Elon Musk back. Right. But he's so clearly disappointed talking about the reconciliation bill and the work that he's done. And also, Tesla's out there now tweeting saying you can't do these cuts that get rid of the energy tax incentives because we're going to the grid is going to be smashed as a result of it, and we're going to lose our energy.”

How PBS Reported on Musk’s Departure from DOGE

On Friday the “PBS News Hour” included an extended segment about Musk and DOGE produced by Laura Barrón-López, PBS White House correspondent.

“After a tumultuous tenure in the White House. An Oval Office sendoff for Elon Musk,” said Barrón-López

Producers cut to a footage of Trump sitting in the Oval Office.

“We'll remember you as we announce billions of dollars of extra waste, fraud and abuse. Thank you,” said Trump.

“Musk has been leading the so-called Department of Government Efficiency orders, but he's hit the time limit as a special government employee. Still, he's expected to advise Trump from afar,” said Barrón-López.

“We are relentlessly pursuing $1 trillion waste and fraud reductions, which will benefit the American taxpayer,” said Musk while standing next to Trump in the Oval Office.

“His goal was to slash the federal bureaucracy, reducing what he called misuse and fraud. Months later, he's provided no evidence to back up his fraud claims. But thousands of federal employees were laid off and the entire agency shuttered. He campaigned on saving the country at least $2 trillion, but has adjusted that significantly down, saying only 160 billion could be saved this fiscal year. The numbers that have been posted publicly are filled with exaggerated savings and unverifiable data,” said Barrón-López.

Laura Barrón-López included more information about DOGE as she spoke to Geoff Bennett, PBS News Hour co-anchor.

“So, even though Elon. Musk promised some $2 trillion in savings, the cuts are actually much smaller than that. They're closer to about $30 billion annually. That's according to Jessica Riedl. She's a former budget chief on Capitol Hill and is a conservative. And also, the layoffs at the IRS could actually impact the overall savings that DOGE says that it's made. Now, when you look at Musk and DOGE's work to date, that includes either laid off or fired 260,000 people, 12% of the federal workforce. Many of those firings have been challenged in court. Some of them were rehired, and the hardest hit included USAID, Voice of America Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Most of the DOGE’s team is expected to stay on. That's according to Musk and to President Trump. And Trump and President Musk have also said that, that they expect more cuts to come from the DOGE team,” said Barrón-López

“Musk and President Trump,” said Bennett correcting her.

“Trump? Yes. Did I say President Musk?” said Barrón-López.

I often substitute Trump for Fox News so I understand how Barrón-López could make that mistake. I want to note that the woman she referenced Jessica Riedl wrote an article for The Atlantic that I used as a source for my research into DOGE.

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In Trump’s World - Rich White MAGA Supporters Don’t Have to Pay Taxes

Last week Trump granted a pardon to Todd and Julie Chrisley, two reality stars who claim they were prosecuted and charged for tax evasion and financial crimes due to their conservative political beliefs.

Although they weren’t sentenced until 2022 the Chrisleys were indicted by the Department of Justice in August 2019 which would have been during the first Trump administration.

On Thursday the cast of “Fox & Friends” expressed their support and empathy the Chrisleys.

“A lot of people got a pardon. But the reason the Chrisleys are making the news is they had that reality show, “Chrisley Knows Best.” They're very famous. A lot of people around the country watch that show, and their attorney says that they were targeted for their political views. Their daughter spoke at the RNC, Savannah, but she was sentenced to seven years in a prison in Kentucky. And he was sentenced to 12 years in a prison in Pensacola, Florida. Seems like a long time for tax evasion. They didn't pay their taxes for three years and they used some. They're charged with using fake bank statements to get loans for luxury items,” said Ainsley Earhardt.

“And then after they get the reality show and they're buried in debt, they hid money from the IRS. And that's what a jury decided. They both get 12 and seven years,” said Brian Kilmeade.

“I was talking to Emily Compagno yesterday on outnumbered and she said as a lawyer, she said if you're caught with tax evasion. She said usually they offer a plea deal. You go to prison for x amount and like minimum security, they have to pay it back. But she said, I'm wondering if they went to court and I don't know the answer to that. If they did,” said Earhardt.

“They had a trial,” said Lawrence Jones.

“Okay. So, she says usually in those situations, if you have a trial, you're going to get slapped with a huge sentence,” said Earhardt.

“They got it. Also, their accountant went to jail, too,” said Kilmeade.

“I just think there's a thing with this president when he feels like people are being overcharged. And the punishment is too severe, right? I mean, you just got to look in contrast. You got some violent criminals that have committed rape and murder that are back on the street. And then you have people for taxes, a nonviolent offense that are locked up for almost 20 years.” said Jones.

Later during the same program Brian Kilmeade interviewed Trump’s pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson about the Chrisley case.

“So, when you looked at their background, you see the fact that they did seem to hide money, from the IRS. They were buried in debt to fraud banks. You're not saying that didn't happen. You just say they overly charged,” said Kilmeade.

“They were definitely overly charged without going into all of the elements of this case in this trial, which if we had more time to talk about it and be able to tell you all the horrific things that happened in their case, but they were certainly over a sentence. And for that, looking at them, they don't pose a risk to society. In fact, I know that they're going to use their voices to end their platform to uplift the president's agenda,” said Johnson.

Johnson just said that Trump’s Department of Justice in his first term overcharged the Chrisleys then she basically said she recommended Trump pardon them because they will promote his agenda.

After a nearly three-week trial the Chrisleys were found guilty on all counts including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and tax fraud. Julie Chrisley was also found guilty on wire fraud charges.

According to the federal case against them the couple didn’t pay nearly $2 million in state and federal taxes between 2008 and 2016. They also falsified documents to receive $30 million dollar in loans which they spent on a lavish lifestyle.

Fox Didn’t Tell Its Viewers that Trump is Trying to Hire a White Supremacist as Special Counsel

Every week I compare how Fox News and PBS covers any given week. Last week Fox omitted a story so alarming it deserves more attention and focus than the long list at the end of this newsletter.

On Friday PBS White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López included a segment about an extremist President Trump is hoping to nominate to a special counsel position.

“President Trump is still filling critical roles in his administration. Last night, he nominated a former far right podcaster as the new head of the Office of Special Counsel, an independent federal agency that protects whistleblowers. Paul Ingrassia has represented the right-wing influencer and accused rapist Andrew Tate, posted in support of the white supremacist Nick Fuentes, and advocated for martial law, posting online in 2020 that it was time for Donald Trump to declare martial law and secure his reelection,” said Barrón-López.

“So, President Trump fired the head of the Office of Special Counsel earlier this year, along with many other, watchdogs. Ingrassia is a staunch Trump loyalist, and he is someone who other ethics watchdogs say that loyalty can ultimately be dangerous. And I spoke to Jeff Sharlet, a professor at Dartmouth and a journalist who covers the far right, and he says that. Paul Ingrassia espouses white supremacist views,” Barrón-López.

“Paul Ingrassia has described exceptional white men as heirs to our civilization. He has written that the descendants of slaves should be paying reparations to slave owners, and he doesn't have a relationship to white supremacy. He is speaking from within the contemporary mainstream white supremacist movement,” said Sharlet.

“Ultimately, and this will have to be confirmed by the Senate. But one thing about the special counsel, is that they are tasked with investigating appeals from federal workers, who believe they've been wrongly dismissed. They are tasked with enforcing ethics laws. And now some fear that Ingrassia in this role, could ultimately go after the president's foes and seek out retribution, said Barrón-López.

Paul Ingrassia denies that he is an extremist. He has only been a lawyer for three years. He has also advocated on behalf of men and women who were convicted on various crimes during the January 6th riot.

The Southern Poverty Law Center collected a sample of social media posts written by Ingrassia.

“God forbid we ever enact policies to protect the native population whites, whose birth rates are far below replacement levels,” he posted on X in July 2024.

“Biden’s open borders are destroying our Great American Women!” he posted on the same platform in June 2024.

“And that is by design: replace every last American with a terrorist infiltrator or gang member from the Third World.”

He has characterized both American immigration policies and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives as “suicidal.”

“Exceptional white men are not only the builders of Western civilization but are the ones most capable of appreciating the fruits of our heritage — and are conversely hurt the most, at a spiritual level, by its destruction,” he posted on X in December 2023.

“Arguably reverse racism against European and Christian culture is far, far more insidious than any other kind of ‘racism,’” he posted on X December 2023.

Stories Fox News Ignored

Every week I compare the hours I’ve watched on Fox News to five hours of the PBS News Hour. The following list are stories that PBS covered that Fox News did not. It’s slightly truncated due to space. Source - PBS News Hour transcripts.

• Updates in the Israel-Hamas War

  • Health officials in Gaza say the latest round of Israeli airstrikes killed at least 52 people last Monday; 36 of those deaths were reported in a single attack on a school turned shelter in Gaza City. Israel says militants were operating from the building. (PBS News Hour)

  • Also last Monday, groups of ultra-nationalist Israeli Jews paraded through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, at times chanting anti-Arab slogans. It's part of an annual march that marks Israel's conquest of the eastern part of the city. The march often leads to violence, and witnesses say clashes broke out in the afternoon. Israeli police say they arrested a number of people. (PBS News Hour)

  • Last Tuesday the new aid distribution system in Gaza was quickly overwhelmed by Palestinians who for 11 weeks have been blocked from assistance. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, backed by the U.S. and Israel, says the old UN-led system allowed Hamas to flourish. But humanitarian groups say the new system is incapable of alleviating the suffering of Gazans. (PBS News Hour)

  • The World Food Program says at least two Palestinians died last Wednesday when hundreds of people stormed its food warehouse in Central Gaza. The new U.S. and Israeli backed distribution system had a chaotic start amid conflicting reports over casualties. (PBS News Hour)

  • Amid stalled peace talks Netanyahu has vowed to take over "all of Gaza" to eliminate Hamas once and for all. But many Israelis are demanding that the government prioritize the hostages, rather than the war. Thousands of Israelis continue to fill Tel Aviv's Hostage Square to listen to hostage families argue that diplomacy is the only way forward. (PBS News Hour)

• PBS spoke to with the international humanitarian agency Catholic Relief Services, or CRS, a major recipient of USAID funding, about how it is grappling with the impact after the loss of the agency. (PBS News Hour)

• The Supreme Court rejected an appeal from a Massachusetts student who was barred from wearing a T-shirt that said "There are only two genders." Instead, the justices let stand a lower court's ruling that the ban did not violate the student's free speech. (PBS News Hour)

• A federal judge in Minnesota sentenced the ringleader of a human smuggling case to 10 years in prison for his role in the freezing deaths of a family of four from India. Canadian police found the bodies of the Patel family, including their 11- and 3-year-old children, just north of the border between Manitoba and Minnesota in January of 2022. (PBS News Hour)

• Prosecutors in the U.K. say that the influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate have been charged with rape, human trafficking and other crimes. The Tates were arrested in Romania in 2022 and indicted last year on charges of sexually exploiting women. Andrew Tate was also charged with rape there. British prosecutors say the two will be extradited to the U.K. once the Romanian case is concluded. (PBS News Hour)

• Two of the world's top weather agencies are warning that temperatures across the globe are likely to hit new records in the coming few years. Climate scientists at the World Meteorological Organization and its counterpart in the U.K. say there's an 80% chance that at least one of the next five years will surpass 2024 as the hottest ever recorded. (PBS News Hour)

• PBS filed a lawsuit in U.S. district court suing the president to block his executive order that would cut all of its federal funding. It follows a similar complaint filed by NPR. The lawsuit, filed by PBS and Minnesota public TV station Lakeland PBS, says President Trump's order violates laws that "forbid the president from serving as the arbiter of the content of PBS' programming." Mr. Trump's executive order issued earlier this month demanded that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting cut funding to NPR and PBS, arguing they are politically biased. (PBS News Hour)

• Former New York Congressman Charles Rangel has died. The Democrat from Harlem served on Capitol Hill for nearly half-a-century. Prior to his time in office, he served in the military, earning a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star during the Korean War. After winning his seat in 1970, he went on to become a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the first African American to be chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee. Charlie Rangel was 94 years old. (PBS News Hour)

By the Numbers

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