Jack Smith urged to investigate Fox News for inciting Jan. 6 violence with election lies
According to former prosecutor Glenn Kirschner, special counsel Jack Smith should expand his investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection by including Fox News for spreading election lies that helped incite the violence that occurred that day.
Appearing on "The Katie Phang Show," the attorney noted the text messages between high-profile Fox News hosts admitting they knew the election fraud claims were lies but spread them on-air anyway because it was helping with their ratings.
Speaking with host Phang, Kirschner stated he believes the network helped incite the riot and that the Department of Justice should open an investigation based upon the new revelations.
"These were not lies about which toothpaste will make your teeth whiter, or which floor wax will make your floors more shiny, these were lies about whether the American peoples' votes were stolen and their election rigged," he told the host.
RELATED: Fox News is in a 'world of hurt' and facing a 'gargantuan verdict' in billion dollar lawsuit
"It's like they were packing the case with gunpowder, using these lies as a vehicle to keep the viewership, you know, engaged," he continued. "They were just waiting for Donald Trump to light that gunpowder -- which he did on January 6th and it erupted into violence."
"I think we need to challenge the federal government -- this defamation suit is important -- but what is even more important is the federal government needs to step up and address these intentional and reckless lies," he elaborated. "I would argue are reasonably likely, if not intended to, incite imminent violence. This issue has got to be grabbed onto and shaken and addressed."
He later added, "Should Jack Smith begin to dig into the implications of Fox News, you know, riling up the Trump base such that Trump now has a more willing, more ready group of insurrectionists?"
"I think it is an abdication of the federal government's responsibility if they don't find the right vehicle, the right organization, to dig into these problems to try to protect the American people from these faux news organizations," he continued. "Indeed, they [Fox] did incite imminent violence on January 6th. Does Jack Smith have adequate predication, fancy term for enough evidence, to begin investigating the impact that the Fox News lies had on what happened on January 6th? I sure hope he concludes that he does."
Watch below or at the link:
MSNBC 02 19 2023 08 12 58 youtu.be