As the investigation into Russian election hacking heats up, Donald Trump has refused to condemn the Kremlin for their reported interference. Over on Fox News, one host appears to be fed up with the president's inaction.
Fox News on Trump
It all kicked into gear back in November 2016 when Donald Trump pulled off the shocking upset over Hillary Clinton. Within weeks, speculation grew as to how all the experts got their predictions wrong.
Even before Trump's inauguration, several well-respected news outlets and government agencies confirmed that Russia hacked into the election with the goal of defeating Clinton. Over the last year, an investigation has been put in place to uncover Russia's role in the hacking, and whether or not Trump was linked to what took place.
The latest bombshell involves special counsel Robert Mueller indicting 13 Russian nationals on charges of interfering in the 2016 election, which Donald Trump has used as a talking point to show he was not in collusion with the Kremlin. This issue was discussed during a February 19 segment on Fox News where host Shepard Smith, who has spoken out against Trump in the past, was quick to put the president on blast.
"He did not attack Vladimir Putin or Russia, nor did he express concerns that the Russians attacked the United States," Shepard Smith said. "The president attacked the Justice Department, FBI and his National Security Adviser," Smith noted, while also pointing out that Trump has spent time smearing Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and other past and present Democrats.
Double down
"The president’s spokespersons have been on television denouncing the meddling," Shepard Smith added, before stating, "the president has not. Not once, not on camera, not on Twitter, not anywhere." While the majority of hosts and pundits on Fox News have rushed to the defense of Donald Trump on more than one occasion, Smith and a small handful of his colleagues have taken the commander in chief to task on various issues including the Russian investigation.
Moving forward
The latest indictments against Russia have added even more fuel to the fire for the case against their election hacking, including raising speculation that Donald Trump's campaign was working in cahoots with the Kremlin since the early days of his campaign for president. As the White House continues to deny any wrongdoing, only time will tell how the investigation plays out.