Donald Trump reportedly addressed Fox Business Network following the harassment of his supporters at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. But the executives did not allow the then-president to go on air, ruling that it would have been “irresponsible” of him . to provide a platform, a court filing revealed.
Trump called “Lou Dobbs Tonight” trying to get on the show, according to the bombshell filing Thursday by lawyers for Dominion Voting Systems. The company is suing Fox News and its parent company, Fox Corporation, for $1.6 billion for alleged defamation.
But Fox Business Network president Lauren Petterson said the network believed it “would be irresponsible to air it” and that Trump’s words “could affect a lot of people in a negative way,” according to the brief testimony .
Show host Lou Dobbs has been a staunch supporter of Trump and his baseless claims that he lost the 2020 presidential vote due to voter fraud. Dobbs has regularly interviewed Trump and his allies on the air during his presidency.
Fox canceled Dobbs’ show just weeks after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
The House Select Committee investigating the riot was unaware during its inquiry that Trump had contacted Fox that day, a source told CNN.
Fox is defending Dominion’s defamation case, arguing that freedom of the press and freedom of speech are protected by the Constitution. But in the past, courts have ruled that intentional lying is not always protected.
Dominion argued in the brief that Fox News anchors and executives did not believe Trump’s rigged election lie, but deliberately continued to sell the network’s story.
Trump could not be reached for comment.
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