Fox News Retraction Prompts White House to Demand Removal of False Anti-LGBTQ+ Article

After Fox News retracted a story on its website and noted that it had “inaccurately attributed” a quote, White House officials continued to demand that the far-right network retract a recent report on the far-right network’s site that was false and inflammatory.

On Friday evening, Fox News withdrew a story it had published in which former Trump administration Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price was quoted as saying he would not support the former president in 2024.

“He can kiss my big medical butt,” the story said Price had remarked.

However, the story was taken down and instead replaced with an editor’s note.

“This article inaccurately attributed a quote to former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and has been retracted,” it read.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates took notice of the network’s flirtation with accepted journalistic ethics and called it out for not retracting an absolutely false story it had published during Pride Month.

“.@FoxNews, if you’re now retracting lies, y’all have a story up citing an ADL-designated extremist group to attack @FOXCorp,” Bates tweeted.

After President Joe Biden hosted the largest LGBTQ+ Pride Month celebration at the White House on the South Lawn in history last month, Republicans and right-wing extremists pounced to gin up controversy where there was none.

First, they claimed that the administration had violated the U.S. Flag Code and disrespected the Stars and Stripes.

At the June 10 celebration, the columns adjacent to the Truman Balcony along the south side of the White House were adorned by a Progress Pride flag in the center, flanked by two American flags on each side.

Atop the building, as there always is, flew a U.S. flag above a POW-MIA flag commemorating military prisoners of war and those missing in action.

Days later, seemingly having not achieved the desired level of anti-LGBTQ+ outrage, Fox News ran an article criticizing the Progress Pride flag hung on the White House portico.

“White House flew controversial new transgender flag that promotes grooming and pedophilia, say critics,” the outrageous headline read.

After being blasted on Twitter by Bates, who called the network out for lying, Fox News quietly changed the headline to “White House flew controversial new transgender flag that troubles some critics in the gay community.”

The story was based on comments made by Gays Against Groomers hate group founder Jaimee Michell. The Anti-Defamation League recently designated the organization an amplifier of anti-LGBTQ+ extremism.

However, Fox Corps., the parent company of Fox News, itself wrapped its corporate logo in the Progress Pride flag for a corporate diversity report in 2022.

This hypocrisy was not lost on Bates, who insisted that the network issue a retraction and has continually demanded that the network come clean for lying.

“Since Fox News apparently now has the capacity to retract stories, they should immediately withdraw the malicious and debunked assertion that their owner, Fox Corporation, in any way promoted “grooming” and “pedophilia” by using a mainstream LGBTQ+ pride flag to emphasize their inclusive work environment,” Bates told The Advocate.

“Currently, Fox News is continuing to stand by a dangerous lie based on the word of a group the Anti-Defamation League identifies as an ‘extremist coalition.’ Whatever our disagreements, we have no compunctions about making clear that Fox Corporation [also rejected the claims of Gays Against Groomers by embracing the Progress Pride flag]. It’s unclear why Fox News can’t do the same,” he said.

The Fox News situation continues a series of blatantly anti-LGBTQ+ media controversies that have befallen the right.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis came under fire after a Twitter account associated with his campaign promoted a homophobic video that was roundly criticized for its outrageous homophobia.

Republicans have made anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and rhetoric a central element of their strategy to win the 2024 presidential election.

Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.