Since leaving Fox News in 2019, Shepard Smith has been holding back his criticisms of his old workplace despite being known for his blunt takes on the network’s opinion programs while still serving as a trusted anchor. That all changed on Tuesday when Smith sat down for a PBS interview with Christiane Amanpour, who coaxed the former Fox News host into sharing his true feelings on the network particularly in light of the recent attack on the U.S. Capitol building earlier in the month.
“I stuck with it as long as I could,” says former Fox News host Shep Smith. But does he think some of his former colleagues spread disinformation? “I don’t know how some people sleep at night… There are a lot of people… who are smart enough and educated enough to know better.” pic.twitter.com/pqrOhVuKgR
— Christiane Amanpour (@amanpour) January 19, 2021
Smith admitted to Amanpour that he stayed at Fox News as long as he did to combat the rhetoric coming from hosts like Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson, who Smith doesn’t name, but it’s obvious who he’s referring to. (A clash with Carlson is what ultimately prompted Smith to walk away with Fox.) After seeing the damage done by amplifying Donald Trump’s claims that the election was rigged, Smith had sharp words for the Fox News personalities who continue to deliberately mislead the public. Via Mediaite:
“Opine all you like, but if you’re going to opine, begin with the truth and opine from there. And it’s that deviation from that that has caused me the greatest concern. I believe that when people begin with a false premise and lead people to astray, that’s injurious to society, and it’s the antithesis of what we should be doing. I don’t know how some people sleep at night, because I know that there are a lot of people who have propagated the lies, and have pushed them forward over and over again who are smart enough and educated enough to know better.”
You can watch Smith condemning his former co-workers above.