Fox News has stopped airing a 60-second commercial calling for the impeachment of President Trump. The ad was sponsored by a group called “Need to Impeach,” which is backed by Bay Area billionaire philanthropist, environmental activist, and Democratic donor Tom Steyer, reports TVNewser.
Steyer claims that he had bought a second week of Fox News ad time on Oct. 27. However, Steyer says that the commercial was no longer run after Oct. 31. Fox News confirmed the decision to cease broadcasting it.
Jack Abernethy, Fox News co-president, said, “Due to the strong negative reaction to their ad by our viewers, we could not in good conscience take their money,” according to TVNewser.
In the commercial, Steyer says, “He (Pres. Trump) has brought us to the brink of nuclear war. He has been accused of obstructing justice of the FBI, and been accused of violating the constitution by taking money from foreign governments and threatening to shut down news organizations that report the truth,” through a voiceover, reports TVNewser.
Steyer then appears on camera and says that Trump is “dangerous” and “mentally unstable.” He calls for lawmakers to “take a stand on impeachment,” implying that Congress should exercise the 25th Amendment to remove Trump as unfit to be president.
Trump responded to the ad via Twitter just hours after it first aired, calling Steyer “wacky and totally unhinged.”
Wacky & totally unhinged Tom Steyer, who has been fighting me and my Make America Great Again agenda from beginning, never wins elections!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 27, 2017
Steyer is now saying that Fox News breached a contract, and is fighting back against the network. He said, “If Fox News is siding with Trump and trying to silence us, they must be afraid of what we have to say. It shows no respect for democracy.”
Steyer’s lawyers wrote a letter to Abernethy on Nov. 3, saying, “The cancellation is not only a breach of your agreement with Mr. Steyer—it is also a profound failure of journalistic integrity, a suppression of constitutionally protected speech, and likely a consequence of inexcusable political pressure,” according to TVNewser.
During the 2016 elections, Steyer donated more than $91 million to Democrats. He is also planning a multi-million dollar digital ad campaign on top of the TV ad buy.
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