On October 3, Fox News’ prime-time lineup collectively rolled their eyes after former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney appeared with Vice President Kamala Harris during a Wisconsin campaign event, at which she said former President Donald Trump is “not fit to lead.” 

As the Harris campaign draws the support of a growing number of ex-GOP officials and former Trump staffers, Fox has continued to shield its viewers from any Republican criticism of the former president; the network previously did not air a second of the speeches from alienated GOP leaders and former Trump officials who endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris at this week’s Democratic National Convention.

Thursday night, the pro-Trump network’s hosts and contributors reacted with indifference to Cheney’s appearance with Harris, claiming the former congresswoman has “no impact” and invoking “Trump derangement syndrome.”

Special Report with Bret Baier offered some “straight news” coverage of the campaign stop. During a panel segment, host Bret Baier asked if Cheney’s speech “move[s] the needle on Republicans or disaffected Republicans at all,” to which contributor Byron York replied, “No… Liz Cheney's endorsement of Kamala Harris is probably not going to move the needle at all.”

The following hour, host Laura Ingraham said she was “howling laughing” during Cheney’s speech, later asserting that “what holds them together, Liz Cheney and the Democrats, is a hatred of Donald Trump and the America First agenda.” Contributor Mary Katherine Ham mused that Cheney is “becoming more liberal.”

A chyron during the segment made the network’s message clear: “Liz Cheney has no impact.”

Host Jesse Watters asserted that Harris trotted out Cheney — her “secret weapon” — on the campaign trail because of unfavorable polls, then played a brief clip of the speech and laughed, “A Cheney endorsing a San Francisco liberal for president. This has gone way too far.”

Later in the segment, Watters asked a guest why the upcoming election is making the Cheneys “crazy” enough to endorse Democrats, while a chyron reading “Trump derangement syndrome is in full swing” aired simultaneously.

Cheney, a once-prominent Republican and former Fox contributor, initially provoked the network’s derision and schadenfreude after she voted to impeach Trump for his role in the January 6 insurrection and served as vice chair of the resulting House select committee.

During the 21-minute speech, Cheney detailed some of the new information in the unsealed filing in Jack Smith’s federal election interference case against Trump – including Trump allegedly asking, “So what?” when informed that Mike Pence was evacuated from the Capitol to a secure location during the January 6 riot. 

“What January 6 shows us is that there is not an ounce — not an ounce — of compassion in Donald Trump,” Cheney maintained. “He is petty, he is vindictive, and he is cruel, and Donald Trump is not fit to lead this good and great nation.”