Conservative commentator Charlie Sykes grilled longtime friend Paul Ryan over the “poisonous egg” pumped out by several Fox News personalities.
During an interview at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee last week, the former Republican House speaker, who now sits on Fox Corp.’s board of directors, downplayed his day-to-day influence at the conservative network, saying he was just one of many. property owned by the company.
Sykes reminded Ryan of an open letter to him in 2021, in which he condemned the revisionism of January 6, the disinformation of COVID and the embrace of the “evil racist narrative” by some on Fox News, especially Tucker Carlson.
“The point is, OK, I know it’s important to have another point of view, but if you’re on the board of directors of a company that pumps out toxic sludge, racism, disinformation, and attacks on democracy, if you don’t stand up now, then when?” Sykes asked Ryan.
“So what do you really think?” Ryan tried to joke as the audience cheered Sykes’ question.
“Do you have a responsibility?” stressed Sykes, founder of the news network The Bulwark.
“I am. I have a responsibility to give my opinion and perspective, and I do. But I don’t turn on the TV and do it. I often give my perspective and opinion,” Ryan replied. “I just left it at that.”
Sykes continued: “Is there a red line for you where you say, ‘I can’t be associated with a company that does this?'”
Ryan pivoted saying he wanted the conservative movement to “get past this moment.”
Is Fox News “the solution or the problem?” Sykes asked.
Fox News will “have to be part of the solution if we’re going to solve the problems in the conservative movement. Because there’s no platform bigger than this in America,” Ryan said.
“So I think the conservative movement is going through a lot of upheaval and a lot of upheaval, and I’m not happy with it right now. I want to make sure we get through this time.
Watch from the 45 minute mark here: