Welcome to the Jim Acosta Morning Memo on a Friday morning going into a Labor Day Weekend that’s going to cost you $1.39 billion more thanks to Trump.
Fox and Maria beefed, JD Vance briefed, and the rest of us griefed. Let’s Jamm!
My Mariiiiaaaaa! (Enjoy Getting That Stuck In Your Head): The media world was stunned yesterday by the sudden and immediate firing of Fox host Maria Bartiromo. There was even early speculation she’d been tapped to be the new press secretary.
But in short order, the truth emerged — according to Oliver Darcy’s Status and others, the MAGA superfan was fired for sharing confidential Fox News guidance with the Trump White House — which then contacted Fox about it:
Status has learned that Bartiromo’s termination stems from an incident, which has not previously been reported, that occurred in July. After Trump delivered his unhinged prime time speech in which he pushed more conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, this time making a number of allegations against China, I am told that Fox News issued guidance to senior employees instructing them to steer clear of giving credence to Trump’s delusional claims. I’m told that the guidance was issued in writing.
Indeed, the day after Trump’s prime time address, Fox News conspicuously avoided covering the debunked claims the president had pushed. The lack of coverage raised eyebrows among media observers at the time. It also appears to have caught the attention of the White House.
The White House complained to Fox, and Bartiromo got the axe for showing Trump the receipts.
Trump Sad!: Trump weighed in Thursday night.
I can’t believe Maria Bartiromo is no longer going to have her great show(s) on FoxNews/Business. Three different shows, always number one. Maria is a total professional, and a true warrior. Her fans, of which there are many, will not be happy. God bless you, Maria!
All Foxed Up: The 800-lb orangutan sitting all over this is the three-quarters of a billion dollars Fox paid out to Dominion, and the $2.7 billion lawsuit they’re facing against Smartmatic over Trump’s election lies.
It’s A Gas Gas Gas: Speaking of Fox News, correspondent Peter Doocy welcomed JD Vance to the briefing room Thursday by confronting him over high gas prices.
DOOCY: Why shouldn't voters blame Republicans for high prices?
JD VANCE: If you look at the Biden administration ...
News Flash, JD: You guys have been in office for almost two years.
How bad is it? Diesel fuel hit an all-time record yesterday:
Billion Dollar Weekend: And according to GasBuddy’s Patrick De Haan, traveling for Labor Day will cost Americans a whopping $1.39 billion more this year than it did last year — before Trump’s war.
Diesel fuel prices jumped to a record high on Friday in the United States, as the war in Iran continued to restrict the supply of energy worldwide, further squeezing businesses that rely on diesel to run their factories and equipment.
The national average price of a gallon of diesel reached $5.85 per gallon, according to the AAA motor club, up more than 55 percent since the war started. That surpassed the previous peak, set four years ago during the global energy crunch caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR…
Hey guys… there’s a new tool I am using more and more these days to check out the news. It’s called Ground News. Not only do they have all of the day’s news… they also provide ownership information about the media outlets reporting the headlines. Take a look!
Go to groundnews.com/acosta to get 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan and unlock world-wide perspectives on the stories shaping our world.
Leave It: Yes, folks, JD Vance took to the podium yesterday for the first briefing since Karoline Leavitt’s departure to spend less time with Natalie. The doozies were flying, like his repeated claim that the Iran War isn’t a war.
Q: How will Trump declare an end to the war with the blockade still in place?
Vance: The phrase an end to the war, I wanna push back on that just a little bit because major combat operations are currently not ongoing and they haven't been ongoing in a very long time.
…Q: Will this war be over by the midterm elections?
JD VANCE: I wouldn't call it a war
But elsewhere, he claimed that Trump won the war he just said wasn’t a war.
Fact check: The Iran War is not won — and the U.S. has, in fact, been victorious in multiple wars since Vance’s birth.
Fox-y Fluff: Of course, it wouldn’t be Fox News without a softball question like this sauerkraut-related query.
Doocy: You've lost a ton of weight lately. How much sauerkraut do you eat?
Vance: When the first questions at a press conference in the White House is how much weight you've lost. You must have gotten very fat
Maybe Vance should try the shredded lettuce that carries the Trump Diarrhea.
Yikes Drop: Vance also won the award for the absolute weirdest reaction to a question at any briefing ever.
