Jake Tapper Points Out Bret Baier Is Ignoring Lawsuit Against Fox News: ‘Basic Journalism Story’

Jake Tapper noted Fox News anchor Bret Baier has so far ignored a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against the network over claims Fox hosts and guests made about fraud in the 2020 election.

Dominion Voting Systems is suing Fox News after the network aired false claims about the company’s role in rigging the election. Fox maintains its coverage is constitutionally protected speech and has accused Dominion of cherry-picking information to support its lawsuit.

The long-running suit has been thrust back into the spotlight in recent weeks as a series of filings have included private correspondence between Fox News hosts and other network employees. Some of those communications indicate some Fox News hosts such as Tucker Carlson privately doubted claims about election fraud even though they promoted the theory on air.

Fox News’s on-air talent has been largely silent on the matter, including Baier, who helms Special Report in the 6 p.m. time slot.

On Wednesday’s The Lead on CNN, Tapper dinged Baier for avoiding the story altogether after CNN commentator Alyssa Farah praised the Fox anchor.

“Half the country is going keep watching Fox and they’re not really going to know that this lawsuit takes place,” Farah said. “I do give credit to people like Bret Baier and some reporters who have at least covered the story on the airwaves, but it is so indicative of just this climate that we’re in politically where you can kind of choose your own news.”

Tapper replied that he’s not aware Baier addressed the suit.

“I don’t think Bret Baier has covered the Dominion lawsuit,” he said. “I think he covered the fact that McConnell was pushing back on the Jan. 6 coverage.”

Tapper concluded the lawsuit is “just a basic journalism story.”

Fox News media critic Howard Kurtz mentioned the story on the network to say he had been instructed not to discuss it.

“The company has decided that as part of the organization being sued, I can’t talk about it or write about it, at least for now,” Kurtz said last month. “I strongly disagree with that decision. But as an employee, I have to abide by it.”

Watch above via CNN.