#rob finnerty

Reed McMaster at MMFA:

In the days since President Donald Trump started a war with Iran, right-wing media have argued that Trump did not start a war with Iran, but rather he is ending a “forever war.” Some have claimed the U.S. has “been at war” with Iran since the Iran hostage crisis of 1979, while others suggested that bombing Iran is an extension of Trump’s promise to bring peace because the conflict could create “peace in the region."

The Trump administration is struggling to sell their war with Iran

On February 28, Trump announced that the U.S. was conducting “major combat operations” in Iran. In a social media post announcing the strikes, President Trump accused Tehran of waging an “unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder targeting the United States,” and cited the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. [CNN, 3/1/26; BBC, 3/3/26] 

Trump's decision to go to war with Iran is a direct violation of campaign promises he made in 2016 and 2024. As New York Times White House correspondent Peter Baker noted, Trump in 2016 “promised to stop racing to topple foreign regimes,” and in 2024 “boasted of starting ‘no new wars.’” Baker then added, “Mr. Trump is racing to topple foreign regimes, and is sending American sons and daughters to wage another war in the Middle East. The self-declared ‘president of PEACE’ has chosen to become the president of war.” [The New York Times, 2/28/26]

MAGA media has erupted into bitter infighting over the conflict, with notable figures like Tucker Carlson calling it “absolutely disgusting and evil.” [Media Matters, 3/2/26]

Americans are largely critical of the decision to enter war with Iran, with early polls showing nearly 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of taking military action in the country. As Axios notes, “If early polling is any indication, the White House's reasoning isn't resonating with Americans.” [Axios, 3/4/26]

Mathew Rodriguez at Them:

With all the problems plaguing the world today, why not take some time to complain about Elliot Page in The Odyssey? That’s exactly what Newsmax anchor Rob Finnerty did on a segment that aired this week on the far-right network. In response to rumors that Page may be playing the mythological hero Achilles in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming adaptation of The Odyssey, Finnerty used his platform to lambaste the director's too-woke decision in a transphobic rant. After first saying Elliot Page’s full name, Finnerty then refers to the actor by his deadname, going on to say: “The most famous warrior in all of history, not just Greek history, Achilles, is about to be played by a transgender woman in a brand new movie.”

Continuing to use she/her pronouns to refer to Page, Finnerty then reminds viewers that Page starred in the Academy Award-winning film Juno, for which he received an Oscar nomination, as a prelude to even more misgendering remarks. Finnerty then goes on to discuss Achilles further, emphasizing that he is described “throughout history” as a “superhuman warrior” and “deadly on the battlefield.” Though Achilles is mostly known for his lead role in Homer’s The Iliad, he does appear in The Odyssey as a spirit that speaks with Odysseus when he travels to the underworld. [...]

We should emphasize that while Page’s casting in the film is official, with the actor appearing briefly in the recently released trailer, it is not yet confirmed what role he plays — so this entire screed was based on speculation. Following his anti-Page comments, Finnerty then moves on to the fact that a Black woman, Lupito Nyong’o — whose name Finnerty mispronounces — is playing Helen of Troy.

“The woman whose face launched a thousand ships, whose beauty was unparalleled, a woman who was definitely white is going to be played by Lupita Nyong’o,”he said. “I’ve got nothing against Lupita, but I do have a problem with the complete rewriting of history. Helen of Troy was not Black.”

While Finnerty believes this is a rewriting of history, perhaps he is blithely unaware that Helen of Troy was … not a real person … and that Homer’s epic tales The Iliad and The Odyssey are more mythology than biographical history. Hello, it has Greek gods and goddesses milling about!

Despite Helen being a work of fiction, Nyong’o’s casting in the film has ruffled many conservative feathers besides Finnerty’s. Shortly after Nolan confirmed that Nyong’o would be playing Helen, as well as her sister Clytemnestra, right-wing provocateur Matt Walsh tweeted, “Not one person on the planet actually thinks that Lupita Nyong’o is ‘the most beautiful woman in the world.’” He added, “But Christopher Nolan knows that he would be called racist if he gave “the most beautiful woman” role to a white woman.” Right-wing billionaire Elon Musk responded, “True.”

Right-wingers crying over non-white males playing major roles in films is old as tale as time, with the dust-up over Elliot Page playing Achilles in The Odyssey.

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Alex Kaplan at MMFA:

As concerns about the spread of hantavirus emerge, right-wing and far-right figures are spreading conspiracy theories on podcasts and social media that the virus came from a lab and may be a new “plandemic” (planned pandemic) created to push vaccines, disrupt upcoming elections, or achieve other nefarious goals. The conspiracy theories are similar to those spread among the right during the COVID-19 pandemic that harmed efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus and contributed to declining vaccination rates.

Hantavirus concerns arise after outbreak on cruise ship

In early May, a cruise ship sailing the Atlantic Ocean experienced an outbreak of hantavirus, a typically rodent-borne virus, causing at least three deaths and at least eight others to become ill or test positive for the virus. In response, passengers from more than 20 countries were flown home and quarantined, including an American who “was suspected of infection after initial testing.”

Nevertheless, the World Health Organization has said that “the risk of hantavirus spreading to the general population is ‘absolutely low,’” with the organization’s head of epidemic and pandemic preparedness saying, “This is not the start of an epidemic, this is not the start of a pandemic.”

A hantavirus vaccine is currently in development, though it could be years before it is released.

“Plandemic” conspiracy theories about hantavirus are spreading online

Some right-wing and far-right figures on podcasts and social media have been baselessly claiming that hantavirus is the beginning of a planned outbreak.

For instance, David Niño Rodriguez, a podcaster whom The Daily Beast described as “a vocal QAnon supporter,” posted on Truth Social about hantavirus, claiming that “they’re moving into desperate territory” and that the death of late actor Gene Hackman’s wife from the virus “was just the beginning. … Here we go again.”Some were more specific about who they thought was responsible for the spread of the virus — like the World Health Organization — and their alleged nefarious reasons, which include forcing vaccines on people and “rig[ging] elections.”

Sherri Tenpenny, a podcaster with a history of spreading vaccine misinformation, suggested that the WHO may have had a role in the outbreak to help secure a treaty, claiming that “they can’t agree” on “how countries … ensure equitable access to vaccines and treatments,” and questioning if the ship outbreak was a “coincidence.”

On conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ network, host Harrison Smith said, “If I was the bad guy, you know what I would do? I’d really release the hantavirus. I would really have an actually super deadly virus spreading from person to person, and then I would release a real vaccine.”

[...]

Several figures suggested that the virus was released to disrupt the 2026 elections.

Podcast host Tim Pool said that the “hantavirus pandemic panic” was “just in time for a midterm election” (though he also said the virus was “no big story”). And a fellow podcaster, Benny Johnson, called the virus “an op to rig elections." A Newsmax host later similarly said, “They are doing it all over again on purpose. COVID started in March 2020, impacted the November elections. Hantavirus started in May of 2026.”A user on the far-right forum previously known as TheDonald wrote that “the best condition for a virus to spread, is an election year.”

And an article on the The Gateway Pundit for a “Contagion Emergency Kit” mused about whether hantavirus was “another plandemic” and a “transparent effort to terrorize Americans and swing the mid-terms against President Trump.”Some social media users also pointed to a 2022 post with the text “2023: Corona ended 2026: Hantavirus” and claimed the post was proof of a “White Hat exposure operation.” A user on the conspiracy subreddit called the post “predictive programming” and said it “feels like yet another planned out, manufactured ritual.” (Pool mentioned it on his podcast as well.)

Gideon Taaffe and Reed McMaster at MMFA:

Fox News and other right-wing media figures rushed to the defense of President Donald Trump after the Department of Justice last month released additional documents pertaining to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, insisting the president was “totally exonerated” and that reporters “cannot get Trump anywhere near” Epstein.  However, new reporting shows multiple pages missing from the release, including notes from an interview with one woman who reported that Trump sexually assaulted her when she was a minor.  So far, Fox News has ignored this new reporting from NPR, according to a Media Matters review of Fox’s programming from when the news broke through 1 p.m. ET on February 25. The January 30 document release featured millions of pages, but many were heavily redacted and they did not include everything the department had on Epstein. It also followed months of right-wing media infighting over the president’s handling of the Epstein documents, with many angered by the lack of transparency. 

The Department of Justice released millions of files related to Jeffery Epstein after a congressional battle and right-wing media infighting

Right-wing media have been at odds over Trump’s handling of Epstein. A Newsmax host attacked Fox News for not talking about Epstein, Daily Wire Ben Shapiro has attacked War Room host Steve Bannon for working with Epstein, and Bannon has attacked the Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal over its reporting on Trump and Epstein. [Media Matters, 7/7/25, 7/18/25, 11/18/25, 7/23/25]

Fox News largely has backed the president on his handling of the Epstein files by limiting discussion of the story. Fox News host Jesse Watters told viewers to not “take the bait” on the Epstein story, and fellow Fox host Will Cain said the files are “something that apparently not very many people are interested in.” In November, Fox News barely covered emails from Epstein about Trump, and a July Media Matters study found Fox covered Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad for 85 minutes while mentioning Epstein for just 3 minutes. [Media Matters, 10/1/25, 11/12/25, 7/31/25]

Amid backlash to the lack of information released, Congress passed a law in November that compelled the Department of Justice to release millions of pages related to Epstein. The DOJ finally released a batch of files at the end of January, with “extensive redactions.” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the DOJ is withholding files that depict violence as well as those that involve attorney-client privilege. [NPR, 1/30/26]

Gideon Taaffe and Reed McMaster at MMFA:

Right-wing media reacted to an attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) by a man who sprayed a liquid at her during a January 27 town hall event by suggesting the attack was “suspicious” and “staged.” President Donald Trump stoked conspiracy theories about the attack, telling ABC News that Omar “probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.” Right-wing media figures spread similar claims, suggesting it is “perfectly reasonable” to question whether Omar's assault was “fake” or “staged.”

Rep. Ilhan Omar, a long-time target of right-wing media and Trump’s ire, was attacked by a man with an alleged history of violent rhetoric and “right-wing extremist” views

Omar was attacked during a town hall on January 27 by a man who sprayed a liquid at her. Preliminary reports suggest the liquid was apple cider vinegar. The man was tackled and arrested, and Omar continued with the town hall. She later posted on social media, “I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work. I don’t let bullies win. Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong.” [The Hill, 1/27/26; Forbes, 1/28/26]

The alleged attacker’s brother spoke to The Independent, calling him a “right-wing extremist” with a long-standing hatred of Somalis. He told The Independent, “He has had a hatred of the Somali community for probably 20 years,” adding, “There’s a reason I don’t talk to him. … He’s got a lot of anger, I have no idea where it comes from. He’s always been that way. In and out of treatment since he was a kid.” [The Independent, 1/28/26]

According to an affidavit filed with the U.S. District Court of Minnesota, the alleged attacker reportedly told an associate years earlier, “Somebody should kill that bitch,” while referring to Omar. [BlueSky, 1/29/26; U.S. District Court of Minnesota, United States of America v. Anthony James Kazmierczak, Affidavit in Support of Criminal Complaint, 1/28/26]

Asked about the incident by an ABC News reporter, Trump said Omar “probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.” He also said he had not seen the video of the attack, adding, “I don't think about her. I think she's a fraud.” [ABC News, 1/28/26]

Omar has been the target of right-wing media attacks for years, with many pundits suggesting she should return to Somalia. Late Fox News host Lou Dobbs questioned, “Who is she representing? Because it isn't America,” and Fox News contributor Ben Domenech suggested Omar buy a ticket to Somalia. Additionally, Trump ally and self-proclaimed “proud Islamophobe” Laura Loomer has called for Omar to “leave my country” and accused Omar of “pushing for another 9/11.” [Media Matters, 4/17/19, 6/17/25, 8/14/24]

Trump recently called for an investigation into Omar’s finances after a Fox News host suggested her net worth had increased suspiciously. The representative’s financial disclosure revealed that her net worth increased to $30 million after her marriage to an entrepreneur and political consultant whose assets were estimated to range up to that figure.Trump baselessly claimed, “There is no way such wealth could have been accumulated, legally, while being paid the salary of a politician.” [Media Matters, 1/23/26]

Right-wing media hacks push inane BS about Ilhan Omar getting attacked by MAGA cultist Anthony Kazmierczak as “staged.”

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John Knefel at MMFA:

Right-wing media figures are helping administration officials lay the groundwork for regime change in Cuba in what would potentially be the latest unprovoked act of military aggression by the Trump White House. MAGA media figures have long embraced a Trumpy version of the Monroe Doctrine, the notion that the  United States has the right to exert dominance over the Western Hemisphere. As the second Trump administration has pursued more openly imperialist ambitions, many conservative pundits have cheered on the White House every step of the way, including when the administration started to threaten Cuba.  If Trump does attack Cuba, it may be an attempt to replicate what he sees as the successful operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, the former president of Venezuela — in contrast to the administration’s increasingly unpopular war on Iran.

Matt Gertz at MMFA:

A Newsmax guest said on Wednesday night that Jeffrey Epstein “got a very soft touch” from authorities in Florida who “did not prosecute Epstein correctly,” referring to the sweetheart federal nonprosecution agreement Epstein received in 2008 after he was first accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls. The prosecutor who oversaw that plea deal — and later served in President Donald Trump's cabinet during his first administration — joined Newsmax’s board of directors earlier this year. The Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation stated in an unsigned memo released Sunday that an extensive review of the Epstein case “revealed no incriminating ‘client list,’” that there was no “credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions,” and that investigators “concluded that Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide in his cell.” The memo repudiated several narratives heavily promoted by right-wing media and triggered a furious response from MAGA figures who accused the agencies of engaging in a cover-up.

Newsmax, a Trumpist competitor to Fox News, has participated in that backlash, and during a Wednesday night segment, host Rob Finnerty asked former Fox host Bill O’Reilly whether he believed that “really powerful people” had gotten “to somebody at DOJ or the FBI or maybe the president himself and made this story go away.” “I don't waste my time on stuff like that, Rob, because I don't have any information indicating that,” O’Reilly replied. “I do know that in Florida, the authorities did not prosecute Epstein correctly. And there, that's a fact.”

“Now, there hasn't been any charges of bribery or anything like that,” O’Reilly continued. “But Epstein got a very soft touch in Florida when this whole first thing broke. And so that is a fact.”  Finnerty did not respond to O’Reilly’s remarks about Epstein’s Florida prosecution, instead asking him whether Attorney General Pam Bondi should resign over her handling of the Epstein disclosures. Newsmax revealed in a June 11 press release that “former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta … was appointed to the Board upon the closing of the Company's initial public offering in March of this year.” Biographical information for Acosta included in the release notes that “from 2005 to 2009, Mr. Acosta served as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida” and states that President Donald Trump nominated him for labor secretary in February 2017.

Appearing on Wednesday’s edition of Newsmax’s Finnerty, de facto NewsNation contributor, former Fox host, and sexual harasser Bill O’Reilly correctly noted that Jeffrey Epstein “got a very soft touch” from authorities in relation to his 2008 plea deal.

The architect of the 2008 Epstein plea deal was Alexander Acosta, the former US Department of Labor Secretary under Donald Trump during his first stint and is now a Newsmax board member.

From the 07.09.2025 edition of Newsmax's Finnerty: