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'He's just an idiot to us': Matt Gaetz blacklisted by Fox News and shunned by Trump allies
April 15, 2021
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has been informally blacklisted by Fox News after trying to loop host Tucker Carlson into his sex trafficking scandal during an appearance last month.
The Florida Republican angered network brass after seemingly trying to turn Carlson into an exonerating witness, which made the popular prime time host visibly uncomfortable on air, and Fox News insiders told The Daily Beast that Gaetz was "going to be excommunicado for a while."
"It's highly unlikely you'll see him on again anytime soon," one network insider told the website.
Carlson was reportedly "livid" that Gaetz tried to implicate him during the interview, but staffers and hosts are trying to walk a fine line between keeping the embattled lawmaker at arm's length without angering viewers who love the loyal ally to former president Donald Trump.
Gaetz hasn't appeared on Fox News since the late March appearance on Carlson's show, and the network has barely mentioned his name as the scandal continues to swirl around him.
Even Trump was critical of Gaetz's actions during the interview, where he asked Carlson whether he remembered him bringing a 17-year-old companion on dinner date with the broadcaster and his wife.
"What was he thinking?" Trump asked in the days afterward, according to one person with direct knowledge of the matter. "What the hell was he thinking?"
However, another source told the website that Trump has privately expressed a willingness to help Gaetz by branding damaging reports as "fake" news, but the former president and his allies have discussed ways to insulate themselves from the lawmaker via phone calls and group messages reviewed by The Daily Beast.
"[Matt Gaetz] used to be a useful idiot," said one person involved in those conversations. "Now, he's just an idiot to us."
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Liberty University moved even further away from its scandal-plagued former president Jerry Falwell Jr.
The evangelical university confirmed to Politico that his son Trey Falwell was "no longer employed" as vice president or any other position at Liberty eight months after his father resigned over allegations of inappropriate behavior and financial misconduct.
University spokesman Scott Lamb told the website the younger Falwell was pushed out this week but declined to provide additional details, and he also declined to say whether Jerry Falwell Jr.'s other son, Wesley, or his daughters-in-law were still employed by the university.
"[Liberty] does not answer questions about personnel," he said.
Jerry Falwell Jr., the namesake son of the university's founder, has hinted at a possible return, but Liberty's acting president seemed to throw cold water on that possibility.
"No Liberty University employee at any level is permitted to communicate with Jerry Falwell, Jr. or Becki Falwell about university matters," acting president Jerry Prevo told university employees.
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Right-wing radio rivalry breaking out: Which radio host is Rush Limbaugh's true heir?
April 15, 2021
In the world of right-wing media, all pundits aspire to impact and direct the conservative movement as the late Rush Limbaugh did. Following the clown prince of right-wing radio's demise, several radio hosts and media moguls have begun scrimmaging over Limbaugh's daily radio time slot, and the title of conservative radio kingpin.
Shortly after Limbaugh's death in February, figures such as Dan Bongino, Ben Shapiro, Charlie Kirk, and Sebastian Gorka could all be found elbowing each other for room in the dog-eat-dog world of conservative talk radio.
In the middle of March, Bongino announced that his new radio show would fill the time slot Limbaugh left behind, although broadcasting on a different channel. "The Dan Bongino Show," starting on May 24, will begin airing in "select markets" from 12 to 3 p.m. Eastern. That hasn't stopped Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder, from seizing a piece of the action, also claiming he is taking over Limbaugh's time slot on terrestrial radio, via yet another channel.
"What an honor to join @77WABCRadio, New York — the flagship station of the Great Rush Limbaugh," Kirk tweeted on April 9. "Tune in every weekday from 12 EST for coverage, updates, and analysis from the frontlines of the American Culture War, only on The Charlie Kirk Show." Kirk's program will be just an hour, from 12 to 1 p.m. Eastern.
"I am thrilled and honored to take the same time and station where my friend and American hero Rush Limbaugh launched his national radio show in 1988," Kirk said in a statement.
Asked on Wednesday whether Bongino and Kirk were contesting who really occupies the coveted Limbaugh timeslot, TPUSA and Kirk spokesperson Andrew Kolvet said that both Kirk and Bongino are "pulling in the same direction," despite competing on opposite channels and broadcasting at the same time. "There is no other Rush, nor will there ever be. He was one of a kind. But Rush and Charlie were good friends, and he is honored to be one of the hosts picking up his mantle," Kolvet told Salon. "Rush inspired Charlie to get into podcasting and radio. Dan is a great radio host and also a friend. They will be on separate stations, yes, but pulling in the same direction."
Neither Bongino nor Shapiro returned Salon's requests for comment.
While both Bongino and Kirk are advertising themselves as heirs to Limbaugh's throne, Premiere Networks, the company that syndicated Limbaugh's radio show around the nation, told Salon on Wednesday it hasn't tapped anyone to fill Limbaugh's slot. "No one can replace Rush Limbaugh, and Premiere Networks will continue to provide millions of loyal listeners with the voice of Rush Limbaugh for the long term," Rachel Nelson, Premiere's vice president of public relations, told Salon. "We have a variety of familiar voices who are guiding the audio of Rush for all of the important issues of the day, including Todd Herman, Ken Matthews, Jason Lewis, and Brett Winterble. With over 30 years of audio, Rush has a definite view on any and every topic."
Kirk and Bongino have been upfront about their efforts to fill Limbaugh's time slot. Shapiro has been quieter but remains an immensely influential conservative voice who reaches millions through his syndicated radio program managed by Westwood One, the same firm that handles Bongino's radio syndication. As for Sebastian Gorka, he must be considered a long shot to claim Limbaugh's mantle. Unlike Kirk, Shapiro, and Bongino, Gorka has been banned from YouTube, which greatly reduces his national reach.
Can any of these younger right-wing pundits unite the massive conservative audience Limbaugh commanded for so many years? That seems unlikely in this new media age of micro-niches and narrowcasting, but only time will tell.
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