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Fox News fanned the flames of Donald Trump‘s election denialism in 2020, but now one of its anchors has rebuked Kamala Harris for failing to swiftly concede the 2024 vote.
Speaking at 2am ET on Fox News, host Dana Perino said: “You should concede and let your opponent have their election night … Let them have their moment.”
She recalled how John Kerry took time to concede defeat to George W. Bush in 2004 (he phoned Bush at 11am ET the day after voting), but in a clip circulating on social media, did not mention Trump’s failure to congratulate Joe Biden in 2020. Perino served as Bush’s White House Press Secretary.
“I don’t think it’s right.” Fox News anchor Dana Perino bashes Kamala Harris for not immediately conceding the election to Trump. Note: Trump has yet to concede the 2020 election results. (Video: Fox News) pic.twitter.com/peJKdWbDgq
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) November 6, 2024
Fox News co-host Bret Baier added that it was “really strange,” but told Perino: “That’s not to say there’s not going to be a phone call. There could be a phone call tonight.”
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Perino replied: “If there’s a phone call, they have to make it public and then nobody needs to hear from her. So if I were her, I would do it tonight.”
Perino did not endorse claims in 2020 that the election was stolen from Trump. “I believe that Biden got more votes and that it was super close,” she told Women’s Wear Daily in 2022.
The same could not be said for the network she represents. Fox News spent nearly $800M settling a lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems after peddling phony conspiracy theories that the technology rigged votes in 2020.
