In an attack on the Smithsonian Institution, Fox & Friends demonstrated how they deal with facts that rebut their talking points -- they just pretend they don't exist.

It all started when Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade teased an upcoming segment on a controversial exhibit recently removed from the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery by claiming:

“Your taxpayer dollars being used for this: A picture of Jesus covered in ants. The art is being pulled, but the museum is keeping your money. Is this a good use of your dollars?”

The problem, as we've already noted, is that the art exhibit in question wasn't any “use of your dollars,” because while the Smithsonian does use taxpayer funds, exhibits are funded by private donations.

And Fox & Friends knew this, because during the actual segment, the chyron read: “Museum: $750K Exhibit Privately Funded.”

Moreover, both co-host Gretchen Carlson and her guest, Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA), acknowledged that the exhibit was privately funded, although Kingston argued that because the Smithsonian itself is publically funded, all Smithsonian funding should be investigated as a result of this exhibit.

So did Fox & Friends admit its earlier mistake about the exhibit's funding? Of course not. Instead, Kilmeade confused the issue further, asserting that “the Smithsonian said the video was not paid with public money, but earlier on our show Congressman Jack Kingston disagreed.” He then showed a clip of Kingston highlighting the Smithsonian Institution's public funding.

To paraphrase former Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Kilmeade can disagree with an opinion, but he can't disagree with the facts.