Why is Newt Gingrich taking a jab at Fox News?
At a town hall event in South Carolina on Tuesday, the new GOP frontrunner mocked the network's analysts, suggesting that they don't know anything.
When asked a question about the HIV/AIDS vaccine, Gingrich said that he couldn't answer the question because he didn't know.
And then he added this:
"One of the real changes comes when you start running for President -- as opposed to being an analyst on Fox -- is I have to actually know what I'm talking about."
How would Gingrich know this? Because he was an analyst for Fox News. The former Speaker of the House contributed to the network until March, when Fox suspended him because of his upcoming presidential run. It then canceled the contract in May.
The same happened to Rick Santorum, but not Sarah Palin. Perhaps Fox chief Roger Ailes knew Palin wasn't going to run, seeing as many view him as the GOP kingmaker.
Gingrich's joke isn't all that surprising in and of itself. His campaign has been built on snark and savaging his critics, particularly the media.
But Fox is different. Not only did Gingrich once get paid by Fox, but he has also appeared on the network 52 times since he announced his candidacy. Per a New York Times story on Thursday, he has appeared more on Fox than any candidate save Herman Cain.
Though Fox declined to comment on Gingrich's specific words, a spokesperson did note that Gingrich appeared for a full hour on Sean Hannity's show Wednesday.
