Fox News parts ways with producer behind ‘wannabe dictator’ Biden chyron
The Fox News producer responsible for an on-screen graphic that called President Biden a “wannabe dictator” has parted ways with the conservative network.
Alexander McCaskill, a longtime producer for ousted Fox News host Tucker Carlson, wrote the line, “Wannabe Dictator Speaks At the White House After Having His Political Rival Arrested,” which caused a stir Tuesday when it appeared at the end of the program “Fox News Tonight.”
The chyron appeared under side-by-side footage of Biden and former President Trump. Earlier in the day, Trump was arraigned in Miami on 37 counts related to mishandling of classified documents.
McCaskill appeared in an Instagram photo Thursday morning showing him with a cardboard box outside of Fox News headquarters. He had served as managing editor and senior producer of “Tucker Carlson Tonight” and remained on staff after Carlson was pulled from his prime-time slot on April 24.
“Today was my last day at FOX. It’s been a wild 10 years and it was the best place I’ve ever worked because of the great people I met. But the time has come,” McCaskill’s Instagram post said. “I asked them to let me go and they finally did.”
Carlson, who did not mention McCaskill by name, said in a Twitter video posted Thursday that the producer resigned and “offered to stay for the customary two weeks, but Fox told him to clear out his desk and leave immediately.”
Two people familiar with the situation who were not authorized to comment publicly confirmed McCaskill’s departure and that he was responsible for the Biden chyron.
A Fox News representative did not comment on the matter. The network previously said the chyron was pulled shortly after it appeared and was “addressed,” but offered no further explanation.
The host of ‘Sunday Morning Futures’ and morning host for Fox Business Network figures prominently in Dominion’s claims that the network lied about election fraud.
While Fox News is typically highly critical of the Biden administration, the chyron was considered shocking and was widely criticized on social media. The White House also responded the next day, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre referencing the network’s recent $787-million settlement paid to Dominion Voting Systems to end a defamation suit.
“There are probably 787 million things that I can say about this that was wrong about what we saw last night,” Jean-Pierre said.
Fox News paid the voting machine company to head off a trial, but not before the release of evidence that reflected poorly on the network.
Dominion alleged it was damaged by Fox News amplifying false claims made by Trump attorneys Sidney Powell and Rudolph W. Giuliani that the company’s machines manipulated votes to help elect Biden president. Fox News faces a similar lawsuit from Smartmatic, a voting software firm.
McCaskill is a defendant in a lawsuit filed by former Fox News producer Abby Grossberg, who said she was subjected to a hostile work environment while working on Carlson’s program.
Grossberg alleged that she faced discrimination based on gender, religion and disability.
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