Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth — a disabled veteran and double amputee due to injuries sustained in combat — isn’t a big fan of Fox News. That’s generally to be expected, considering the conservative news channel’s undeniable slant, but things have previously gotten ugly. That includes Duckworth telling Tucker Carlson to f*ck off (after he ridiculed women in combat) while tweeting a terrifying GIF from his Dancing With The Stars stint and writing, “While he was practicing his two-step, America’s female warriors were hunting down Al Qaeda and proving the strength of America’s women.”
Well, Duckworth surely won’t be happy about a tweeted headline (from Fox News, via Mediaite) that leaves out a lot of context about a situation. The tweet points towards an on-site Fox News story. On the Fox News site, the outlet frames the matter with a little more context (and this subheading: “The U.S. senator takes advantage of a county tax break for disabled veterans that applies regardless of income, a report says”), but it’s still not great because it suggests that Duckworth shouldn’t accept a property-tax break that applies to vets in Illinois who are “at least 70% disabled.”
The further suggestion is that Duckworth’s “income is too high to justify” the break, and Fox News cites a Chicago Sun-Times report that singles Duckworth out as one of 27,000+ Cook County homeowners who claim similar property-tax exemptions. That article argues that Duckworth’s income is such that she should not have received the $37,842 total tax break over five years.
It’s kind-of a bizarre stance for the Chicago Sun-Times to take, and it’s been amplified by Fox News, which used this headline on their tweet to promote their article: “Democrat Tammy Duckworth hasn’t paid property tax on her Illinois home since 2015, report says.”
Democrat Tammy Duckworth hasn’t paid property tax on her Illinois home since 2015, report sayshttps://t.co/KyJCSQSVqW
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 3, 2021
Well, the backlash is fierce, mostly because, again, the tweeted headline abandons context and reads like an attack, which people are calling “bullsh*t,” “shameless,” and “trash.” People also really can’t figure out what Fox News intends to say about disabled veterans and tax breaks, all while not saying jack about how billionaires (including owner Rupert Murdoch) gladly accept enormous tax breaks and fork over practically nothing in federal income tax.
WHAT A BULLSHIT HEADLINE @FoxNews. In your own report, you state the reason why. As a disabled veteran, she is exempt. FOX News, are you seriously now going to attack our veterans in your assault on our Democracy? https://t.co/hZQbYaMZnD
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) October 3, 2021
Nice job, @foxnew. Very little research would provide you information that all veterans receive a disability assessment on leaving the service & many (most) states provide property tax reduction based on the percentage of disability. https://t.co/aBmXckG0ej
— Mark Hertling (@MarkHertling) October 3, 2021
https://twitter.com/BenThePCGuy/status/1444711482327900162
Fox News deliberately leaving out some very important context in their tweet headline. An absolutely shameless attack on a veteran who sacrificed both legs and part of an arm in combat. https://t.co/tjXHJD9qmi pic.twitter.com/qNeEsBZAYy
— Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC) October 3, 2021
In Illinois, a veteran with a 70% or more disability rating is exempt from property taxes on their primary home. Duckworth is a double amputee. pic.twitter.com/39VJmeJgD6
— Steve Beynon (@StevenBeynon) October 3, 2021
She’s missing limbs from combat service and is exempt from property taxes like any disabled veteran in Illinois. Is this Fox News advocating for rolling back veterans benefits? That seems newsworthy.
— Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) October 3, 2021
Fox News is now attacking disabled veterans for having benefits for disabled veterans that were approved by lawmakers https://t.co/tWrMDF2cGP
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) October 3, 2021
Utterly trash headline, even by Fox News standards
Duckworth is tax exempt in her county as a disabled veteran who lost both of her legs in Iraq in 2004 when her helicopter was hit by an RPG https://t.co/9kvfLxhUdN
— Jon Simkins (@jon_simkins) October 3, 2021
Tell us, Fox News, which part of this law would you change? Please elaborate on why you object to Illinois reducing property taxes for disabled veterans. pic.twitter.com/lYB1DP2xTu
— Max Kennerly (@MaxKennerly) October 3, 2021
https://twitter.com/travisakers/status/1444642289041686531
Are you suggesting that this tax break for disabled veterans should be taken away from all veterans with disabilities or just from Tammy Duckworth?
— StayFresh in a StaleDemocracy (@Lina09781998) October 3, 2021
But Fox has no problem with billionaires like their owner paying zero in federal income tax.
— I💙Panthers🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@Kingwoman) October 3, 2021
Duckworth hasn’t dignified this attack with a tweet yet, but considering that, yeah, she told Tucker Carlson to shove it, there might be a response coming.
(Via Mediaite)