Former Fox News host Greta Van Susteren came under fire on Saturday for allegedly trying to “bury her role” in spreading a Donald Trump-related conspiracy theory. Now a host for the conservative Newsmax TV, Van Susteren took to social media after Judge Juan Merchan informed the parties in Trump’s criminal case about a suspicious Facebook comment suggesting the jury had been corrupted. The comment, later admitted to be a hoax by the poster, caused significant uproar before the truth was revealed.
Van Susteren initially presented a printed copy of Merchan’s notice on social media, writing, “Wow!! This is BIG TROUBLE.”
HuffPost reporter Yashar Ali highlighted Van Susteren’s quick commitment to the hoax. “While most of Fox News and even many Trump people were skeptical of the Facebook comment, attorney and militant Scientologist Greta Van Susteren went with it like it was a major breaking news story,” Ali wrote. “She said ‘if true,’ and ‘not a hoax,’ but it’s the commitment to the verdict being vacated and her tone that are the issue. Even Pete Hegseth didn’t jump on it like this!”
Former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger also criticized Van Susteren’s response following the admission that the comment was a hoax. “This morning [Van Susteren] has posted dozens of off-topic tweets in order to bury her role in spreading the misinformation about the NY jury yesterday instead of admitting her mistake. Typical,” Kinzinger wrote.
Authoritarian expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat weighed in, calling it “yet another use for the ‘flood the zone’ strategy.” Van Susteren responded to Kinzinger’s critique, asking, “Congressman, what is your problem? I posted the Judge’s letter where he reported the FB post. When did you get snarky? I am surprised by you – I have had many good interviews with you over the years. I hope this was posted by staff and not you.”
In a separate post, Van Susteren expressed confusion over Kinzinger’s reaction, saying, “My experience with [Kinzinger] over the years was one of mutual respect – not sure why he got snarky with me.” She defended her actions further, stating, “The FB posting (reported by the judge) IS trouble whether true or crazy (disruptive of our judicial system that is already under fire by people).”
Kinzinger replied, “Same experience Greta. But misinformation is literally rotting political discourse, especially from someone with a good reputation. That said, let’s both strive to report the truth and let the chips fall.”
This incident underscores the ongoing battle over misinformation and its impact on public discourse. Van Susteren’s initial reaction and subsequent attempts to deflect criticism have drawn significant attention, highlighting the challenges media figures face in navigating and reporting contentious and potentially misleading information.