‘Prank!’ Fox’s Jesse Watters backtracked after celebrating Trump’s threats

A Fox News host who defended Donald Trump’s political threats of retaliation was caught claiming that reports of the former president’s promised “revenge tour” were a hoax.

The watchdog group Media Matters on Monday released a ruthless fact check on pro-Trump Jesse Watters and his conflicting comments about the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s revenge rhetoric.

“Following the lead of his fellow pro-Trump media sycophants, Watters is currently downplaying the former president’s well-documented calls for political retaliation in an apparent attempt to undermine the Biden campaign’s characterization of Trump as an authoritarian wannabe.” , reports Media Matters. .

Watters’ message hinges on the phrase “revenge through success” that he often repeated on air, as recently as June 12 in a segment that included the graphic caption “revenge hoax,” Media reports Matters.

This message stands in stark contrast to the comment made by Watters following Special Counsel Jack Smith’s election interference indictment against Trump in August 2023, when he took to the airwaves to make promises to the Trump name.

“Don’t think for one second that he’s not going to unleash hell on all of his political enemies,” Watters told Fox News viewers. “This is just the beginning of a series of politicians putting other politicians and their families in jail.”

Watters upped the ante on August 2 by promising a “revenge tour” by Trump, during which he would be “out for the blood” of political enemies (and their families) who would be “legally assaulted.”

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The Fox News host even suggested that US laws would be changed to allow Trump to launch this revenge campaign after winning back the White House in 2025, reports Media Matters.

“Yell and shout all you want,” Watters reportedly told viewers. “You better believe it’s open season.”

Media Matters found at least six examples of Watters celebrating Trump’s promises of retaliation against political enemies and non-conservative news sources.

Watters continued to tease Trump’s inevitable retaliation. He also celebrated Trump’s threats to execute Gen. Mark Milley and revoke news networks’ broadcast licenses, saying, ‘The revenge tour is beating full’,” reports Media Matters.

That leaves Watters with a problem, the watchdog report concludes: “If Trump continues to fight for retaliation in public — as he likely will — Watters will have to continue calling ‘hoax.’ »