Dan Bongino Melts Down on Conservative Writer, and Publications She Writes For, Over Twitter Joke
Fox News contributor Dan Bongino went after a conservative writer and the publications she writes for this week over a joke she posted on Twitter.
The tussle started after Washington Examiner contributor and Arc Digital columnist Kimberly Ross posted the following, making light of Twitter’s follower algorithm, on the social media platform Monday night:
No, I’m good. pic.twitter.com/7h3BfDTRq1
— Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) June 11, 2019
By the next morning, the infamously fragile Bongino had found Ross’s Twitter joke — and erupted. Bongino accused Ross of having a “sorry following” and “opinions worthy of an amateur-hour conspiracy theorist.”
With a sorry following, a click bait lineup of pieces, opinions worthy of an amateur-hour conspiracy theorist, and a tone of clear desperation in your tweets, “good” may not be the right word. I hope things pick up for you, maybe one day it’ll work out. Best of luck.
— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) June 11, 2019
When another Twitter user suggested Bongino was “insecure,” he followed up with another tweet calling Ross an “informed ignoramus”:
I’ve never seen such an informed ignoramus, desperate for attention, make such an obvious plea for help. I hope she finds it.
— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) June 11, 2019
Amongst a flurry of tweets aimed at Ross, Bongino tagged the Examiner, asking why the outlet employs what he called a “click bait artist” and pointing out that he promotes the website.
Still confused why the @dcexaminer hires click bait artists to attack people who promote the site’s legitimate content. Kind of a dopey business model. https://t.co/fOoXtjcQVq
— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) June 11, 2019
Ross responded more fully and made it clear she was joking.
Dan. All I said is I’m not following you on Twitter. I didn’t even tag you. Then you proceeded to ridicule me and my writing…while including links to your books. You’re still tweeting about me. Move on, bud. https://t.co/PwyGswRWXO
— Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) June 11, 2019
In a post on Facebook, Ross suggested that Bongino reached out to the Examiner to complain about her Twitter joke. The Examiner did not respond to Mediaite’s requests for comment.
It does not appear Bongino’s appeals to the Examiner to punish Ross will be heeded. Examiner Magazine Deputy Editor Jay Caruso responded by calling out Bongino’s meltdown.
What are you, five years old, tattling to the teacher after recess?
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) June 11, 2019
When reached for comment on whether he tried to get Ross fired, Bongino insisted to Mediaite he “NEVER tried to get anyone fired.”
Bongino provided screenshots of messages he sent to a “friend” at the Examiner, in which he complained that Ross made a joke that involved him despite promoting the Examiner on his podcast.
“I cherish disagreement,” Bongino wrote in the messages.
Arc Digital, an outlet Ross contributes to, posted a thread of their own on Wednesday mocking Bongino’s outburst and labelling him a “griftastic cro-maganon.”
In response, Bongino puts on an absolute clinic of self-restraint. You’ve never seen a public figure this well-measured. For example, he tags her employer in order to have her suffer professional repercussions for <leafs through the documents> demurring with a Twitter algorithm. pic.twitter.com/Aa20zR39I0
— Arc Digital (@ArcDigi) June 11, 2019
Also, did you know it isn’t possible to be conservative and Trump-critical at the same time? I mean, how else do you explain these lovely quote marks? What a fun little insight that is. pic.twitter.com/wAqDrMwqHo
— Arc Digital (@ArcDigi) June 11, 2019
Since @dbongino involved @SouthernKeeks‘s employer in an effort to curb her ability to tweet freely, we wanted to publicly voice our complete and total support for her tweeting and writing. Keep it up, Kim!
— Arc Digital (@ArcDigi) June 11, 2019
Fox News declined to comment.
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