Fox News, the right-wing propaganda arm of the Republican Party, is facing widespread criticism for its grotesque attack on Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. In a recent headline, the network insinuated that Buttigieg was somehow implicated in child pornography because a Maryland mayor facing such charges previously referred to him as a mentor.
The story refers to former College Park Mayor Patrick Wojahn, who resigned this week and was arrested on 56 charges related to child pornography. Fox News used a 2019 Washington Blade interview with Wojahn, in which he cites Buttigieg as a mentor, as ammunition for its homophobic attack. The network’s headline linking Buttigieg to Wojahn along with the words “child porn” is a blatant attempt at smearing Buttigieg as a pedophile, which is not only false but also deeply offensive.
Buttigieg is a veteran and a father, and as an elected public official, he has met many people, including presidents, House Speakers, and Maryland Mayor Patrick Wojahn. The fact that Wojahn referred to Buttigieg as a mentor is not surprising given that they are both gay mayors, and it is absurd to suggest that this association somehow implicates Buttigieg in Wojahn’s alleged crimes.
Many have called on Fox News to remove the story and apologize to Buttigieg, but so far, the network has refused to do so. The attack on Buttigieg is just the latest example of Fox News’ reckless disregard for the truth and its willingness to engage in baseless smears against its political rivals. It’s time for Fox News to take responsibility for its actions and start acting like a responsible news organization.
