Fox Contributor Baselessly Connects Possible Petraeus Demotion To Hillary Clinton

Bolton: “A Harsher Penalty Against Petraeus May Be Laying The Groundwork For An Indictment Against Secretary Clinton”

Written by Media Matters Staff

Published

Fox contributor John Bolton hyped the fact-challenged comparison of retired Gen. David Petraeus to Hillary Clinton, seizing on reports that the Army may retroactively demote Petraeus to claim the penalty “may be laying the groundwork for an indictment against” Clinton. Conservative media have repeatedly pushed the false comparison between Petraeus and Clinton's handling of classified information, even though experts have said the comparison “has no merit.” From the January 19 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom:

BILL HEMMER (HOST): Quickly, in 20 seconds. Petraeus might be demoted? What's that about?

JOHN BOLTON: Well, I think this has to come from the White House. I can't see the Pentagon raising this issue again. And it leads me to wonder whether this is an effort to show that a harsher penalty against Petraeus may be laying the groundwork for an indictment against Secretary Clinton.