There are few things Fox News hosts love more these days than holding up a petulant anti-vaxxer as some sort of culture war hero. The network has a strict vaccination/testing mandate but its shows frequently feature people who have chosen unemployment over complying with vaccine requirements.
One of those obstinate anti-vaxxers Fox News has tried to depict as a persecuted patriot is Robert LaMay, a former Washington state trooper who refused to get vaccinated despite a state-wide mandate. LaMay got Fox News’ attention with a video he recorded in his patrol car in October, announcing his “final sign-off” and telling governor Jay Inslee to “kiss my ass.” The video went viral and LaMay’s story was featured on a number of Fox News shows.
LaMay was also brought on to appear on some of those programs, most notably, The Ingraham Angle, where host Laura Ingraham regularly pushes COVID-19 misinformation, promotes unproven treatments, and even has an entire recurring segment called “Positively Boosted” where she gleefully mocks vaccinated people who have tested positive for the virus.
Ingraham brought LaMay onto her show after his video went viral to condemn the idea of mandates as well as to fawn over him as a culture war hero and a “celebrity.”
“What’s next for you — other than being a celebrity now — what’s next for you?” Ingraham asked toward the end of the interview. LaMay replied that he was “spokesperson” for thousands, even millions of Americans, and also that he had some great job prospects.
“All right, well, a sleeping giant, maybe a sleeping giant,” Ingraham concluded, referring back to LaMay’s use of the term earlier in the interview. “We hope that that’s what’s happened here. We’ve awakened it slowly but surely. Robert, thank you for joining us. We really appreciate your voice and best of luck to you.”
Well, that “sleeping giant” died from COVID-19 on Friday of last week at the age of 51. And so far, despite being so eager for her audience to hear LaMay’s story, Ingraham does not appear to have even mentioned his death.
It doesn’t look like any other Fox News shows have mentioned LaMay’s death either. It was written up on the company’s website, though that article completely left out the fact that Ingraham and other hosts had so aggressively celebrated his refusal to get vaccinated.
Meanwhile, Ingraham continues to downplay the severity of the virus, politicize public health issues, and condemn vaccine mandates to her audience of millions. I’m sure it won’t be long before the network finds another anti-vaxxer to celebrate, only to conveniently forget to follow up with the inevitable end to their story as well.
(via: Media Matters, image: screencap)
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Published: Feb 2, 2022 03:45 pm