MSNBC Hosts Compare Fox to Middle Eastern State Propaganda

After an hour of marketing his own aggressive brand of no-holds-barred progressivism, MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan decided to conclude his eponymous Sunday evening show with a snide and staged exchange with fellow radical Ayman Mohyeldin, comparing Fox News to state-run Middle Eastern propaganda networks.

Hasan began by asking Mohyeldin, “Do we have midterm elections coming up?” He then played a series of clips from Fox News from the past week warning of the large migrant caravan making its way to the U.S. southern border.

After the montage, Hasan snarkily proclaimed: “Yes, if it’s a midterm year, it has to be a migrant caravan year,” insinuating Fox would not have covered the story if the midterm elections weren’t fast approaching. 

Hasan then made a lame attempt at a fact check, “And by the way, Ayman, that caravan has already been disbanded by Mexican authorities, but don’t let facts get in the way of a good Fox scare story.” 

The one problem with this was that the Reuters article Hasan plastered all over the screen was published on June 11th, and every clip he played in the montage was from before the caravan was allegedly disbanded, except for Dan Bongino’s Unfiltered, which aired a mere three hours after the story broke.

Hasan, however was only warming up and really took off with this doozy comparison. 

Ayman: I mentioned Fox Propaganda earlier, which was one reason. I refuse to call it Fox News, it’s not news. And I have to ask you, in all your years of reporting from around the world, Ayman, in places like General Sisi’s Egypt, What a difference Fox makes from propaganda channels shown in dictatorships and authoritarian Middle East countries!?  

Mohyeldin seemed more than willing to accept the bait.

I have witnessed a lot state-controlled media over my lifetime. Egypt, the Middle East and Turkey are just a few examples of state-controlled media. I’ve always noticed that — you know, they have a few common characteristics. On one hand, they follow closely the script of those in power, the government, the ruling elite — uh, the ruling class, and two, they ignore the realities of the society that they are reporting on for fear of undermining that very ruling class, and if you ask me, Fox meets those metrics, and perhaps more accurately, instead of calling it — um, you know, state-controlled media, it’s better to call it a party propaganda broadcaster. 

There’s no doubt that Fox News is right-leaning, but to pretend that the Republican Party is a monolithic ruling class — within the D.C. Beltway or without — is patent nonsense. And on the topic of state-run media, didn’t both Hasan and Mohyeldin previously work for the Qatari-funded Al-Jazeera?

Mohyeldin concluded by stating, “This is not an independent news organization looking for the truth. It is a propaganda broadcaster doing the bidding of Republican elites.”

Would that change MSNBC’s image? For that matter, Hasan’s personal effortsTo cover the Biden administration

If you agree with liberal media, you are searching for truth. But if you disagree with them, you will be a dictatorial propaganda network. 

This absurd comparison was possible thanks to US BankAnd Volkswagen. You can find their contact information here.

Click “Expand” to see the relevant transcript.

MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan’s Show
06/12/22
8:57.36 PM ET

MEHDI HASAN: Ayman! Do we have elections for midterms? 

AYMAN MOHYELDIN : Yes, Mehdi. Why would you want to ask this question? 

HASAN, I was aware of it! Fox reminded me of the upcoming congressional midterm elections. I was a little confused for a while. Listen. 

[Cuts to clips]

BRIAN KILMEADE [On FNC’s Fox and Friends, 06/06/22]: Over 10,000 illegal immigrants set to storm our borders —  

STUART VARNEY [On Fox Business’ Varney and Company, 06/09/22]: We’ve got this huge caravan coming right at the southern border. We don’t know the exact date, but we do know that it will arrive.

ELIZABETH MACDONALD [On Fox Business’ The Evening Edit, 06/10/22]The largest illegal caravan ever converges on the frontier. 

BILL HEMMER [On FNC’s America’s Newsroom, 06/12/22]: 1,000 strong migrant caravan heading through — uh, Mexico toward the U.S. Border. 

TUCKER CARLSON [On FNC’s Tucker Carlson Tonight, 06/06/22]The caravan has at least 15,000 members. It is headed here, it’s getting bigger every day. 

DAN BONGINO [On FNC’s Unfiltered with Dan Bongino, 06/11/22]How about the caravan of 10,000 migrants that is approaching our southern border? 

SEAN HANNITY [On FNC’s Hannity, 06/07/22]As Biden’s open border agenda poses a serious threat to U.S. security, another massive caravan of migrants marched to the U.S. Border. 

[Cuts back to live]

HASAN. Yes. If it’s a year of midterm elections, it should be a year for migrant caravans. Ayman: That caravan was dismantled by Mexican authorities. But don’t let the facts stop you from telling a great Fox scare story. And, Ayman, I was talking about Fox propaganda earlier on the show which is one of the reasons I refuse to call it Fox News, it’s not news. And I have to ask you, in all your years of reporting from around the world, Ayman, in places like General Sisi’s Egypt, how different is the way Fox behaves from the propaganda channels that you’ve seen in those authoritarian countries, those Middle East dictatorships? 

MOHYELDIN: I mean, listen, you — you raise a very interesting question. In my lifetime, I have witnessed a lot state-controlled media. Egypt, the Middle East and Turkey are just a few examples of state-controlled media. I’ve always noticed that — you know, they have a few common characteristics. On one hand, they follow closely the script of those in power, the government, the ruling elite — uh, the ruling class, and two, they ignore the realities of the society that they are reporting on for fear of undermining that very ruling class, and if you ask me, Fox meets those metrics, and perhaps more accurately, instead of calling it — um, you know, state-controlled media, it’s better to call it a party propaganda broadcaster. 

Because all you gotta do is look at the intersection of Fox and the Republican Party, whether it’s — you know, Sean Hannity campaigning at a Trump rally, literally. Fox hosts giving the White House advice on policy — uh, text messages like we saw the ones that were sent to Mark Meadows and Kayleigh McEnany on January the 6th. The Fox news channel isn’t independent and does not seek the truth. It’s a propaganda broadcaster serving the interests of Republican elites. 

HASAN: You are a friend. Very well said.