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We know where President Donald Trump stands (or more likely, sits in his robe) when it comes to the cable news networks. While he glowingly tweets congratulations to Fox & Friends for its ratings, entreats his supporters to watch, and stands up for Fox anchors accused of (and later canned for) sexual harassment, he loves to bash CNN whenever he gets a chance.
His administration’s preferences have now made their way to the Food and Drug Administration headquarters, where officials this week switched the televisions to Fox News from CNN.
“The reason for the change is that a decision from the current administration administrative officials has requested that all monitors, under our control, on the White Oak Campus, display FOX news,” reads an email sent on Wednesday to a listserv for researchers from the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research from the employees responsible for what shows up on the TVs. “I am unable to change any of the monitors to any other news source at this time.”
An FDA spokesperson denied the directive ever happened to several news outlets outlets, which obtained copies of the email.
Now, FDA doctors have told the Wall Street Journal that some of the screens were switched back to CNN after the email to CBER staffers was made public.
But at least one FDA official isn’t sure why the choice is between CNN and Fox. “I’d actually rather go with the Weather Channel,” the official told WSJ.
Here’s the full email, via the freelance science reporter who broke the story.
Screen shot of #FDA email announcing all FoxNews all the time, on FDA TVs. pic.twitter.com/RleGhrO6Ws
— Paul Thacker (@thackerpd) May 5, 2017
Rachel Kurzius