Fox host on Christie: 'Bridge thing' ruining coverage of Bob Gates' Obama-bashing

Fox News host Steve Doocy on Thursday lamented the fact that the media was covering leaked emails that proved New Jersey Chris Christie's (R) administration closed part of the busiest bridge in the world as political retribution instead of criticizing President Barack Obama.

Fox & Friends spent the first five minutes of their 7 a.m. ET hour reminding viewers that former Defense Secretary Robert Gates had written a book that had been hyped by The Washington Post's Bob Woodward as offering "a harsh critique of Obama."

For the third day in a row, the Fox News hosts asserted that the book meant that the president did not trust or support the U.S. military, although people who have actually read the book say that conservatives have mischaracterized Gates' comments.

But the Gates story was moved to the back burner on Wednesday, when emails emerged suggesting Christie's office ordered George Washington Bridge as lane closures last year political retribution against Democratic Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich and most of the media -- with the exception of Fox News -- focused on the scandal.

"Imagine the commander and chief claiming he supports you, but not your mission," Fox News host Elisabeth Hasselbeck charged on Thursday. "To hear any of that coming forward in this book is just shocking!"

"Yeah," Doocy agreed. "And I was watching one news channel yesterday, you would think that this would be a big story... all about the bridge thing... with Christie."

After a segment asserting that extending unemployment benefits hurt people who don't have jobs, the network turned to Heather Nauert, who read a 37-second update on the Christie story -- and then the network quickly returned for another interview to find out what veterans thought about Obama's mistrust of the military.

Watch this video from Fox News' Fox & Friends, broadcast Jan. 9, 2013.