Bret Baier Lets Trump Push His Debunked “Rigged Election” Lie

Even Fox News Has Debunked The “Rigged Election” Lie

Written by Media Matters Staff

Published

Fox News host Bret Baier failed to challenge Donald Trump on the fact that voter fraud is extremely rare ... according to the network’s own recent reporting when speaking to the GOP candidate about his “rigged election” claims.

During the interview Trump claimed that the system was rigged because Clinton was allowed to run for president despite being “a criminal,” adding that “The [FBI investigator] that is in charge of her case took $675,000, let her off scot-free.” Instead of correcting Trump’s claim and explaining that nothing the FBI investigator did was found to be unethical and noting that the donation happened well before the investigation even took place, Baier ignored Trump and moved on to his next question. Baier also failed to explain that voter fraud is extremely rare and rigging the election is nearly impossible, according to Fox’s own analysis.

For months Trump has pushed the system being rigged whether it be his attacks on the media or the many times he has pushed there is mass voter fraud (that even Fox News has now debunked).

From the October 28 edition of Fox News’ Special Report with Brett Baier:

DONALD TRUMP: The system is rigged when Hillary Clinton is allowed to run for president. Because what she did is criminal. What she did is -- General Cartwright is potentially going to serve years under jail for doing nothing by comparison to what it she did. The system is rigged when she's allowed to run. Because she has done many criminal acts. She's not allowed to run. She is not allowed to be running in this election. And the FBI rolled over and the Department of Justice rolled over. They didn't roll over for General [James] Cartwright. They didn't roll over for General [David] Petraeus. And the many other people that are now in prison whose lives have been -- when she's allowed to run for office, the FBI rolled over.

BRET BAIER(HOST): But you could lose this election and it not be rigged?

TRUMP: I'm having a hard time myself getting by the fact that the FBI took $675,000. The man that is in charge of her case took $675,000, let her off scot- free.

BAIER: You know they say that had already happened, they tried to separate the two.--

Trump: Give me a break.

BAIER: I’m just telling you. That’s what he says.

TRUMP: Give me a break.

BAIER: Governor Pence, you’ve taken a different tone on this, you told Chuck Todd that will “we will absolutely accept the results of the election.” Four days later you said “if the vote is fair I'm convinced we will accept it.” Are you worried that somehow this could be invalid?

MIKE PENCE: Well first, let me say, I think we will win this election. I really do. I thought that from early on.

TRUMP: In which case we will accept the results.

BAIER: But this is talking about the integrity of the system.

PENCE: Bret, when Donald Trump talks about a rigged system, it's a national media with present company excepted, a national media that has been hostile to my running mate and has been practicing willful ignorance on most issues emanating out of the years of scandal around Hillary Clinton.