Fox News’ “Apology”: Why Viewers Aren’t Buying It
Fox News Does Something It Almost Never Does: It Apologizes
What Happened?
On a Friday and Saturday, something super unusual happened on Fox News. The network did something it had avoided for a long time — even after paying a whopping $787 million to settle a huge lawsuit. They apologized on air.
And here’s the twist: they never actually used the word "apologize."
The Story Behind the Apology
The Original Problem
Back in May, a famous investor named Kevin O’Leary (you might know him as "Mr. Wonderful" from the TV show Shark Tank) appeared on Fox Business wearing a hat that said "Utah National Security."
During that TV segment, O’Leary made some pretty serious accusations. He claimed that people and groups who were against his big data center project in Utah (called the Stratos Project) were actually secret "proxies for the Chinese government."
He said these opponents were trying to:
- Sabotage American A.I. advancement
- Stop the U.S. from building better computer power
He even named specific people and organizations, including:
- Party for Socialism and Liberation
- The People’s Dispatch
- Alliance for a Better Utah
- Elevate Strategies
- Individuals: Gabrielle Finlayson, Taylor Knuth, and Josh Kanter
But here’s the big problem — he had no real evidence. He only said his staff did a "deep dig into IP addresses" and found a "spike in misinformation." That’s it.
Important Point: Accusing someone of working for a foreign government is a very serious claim. Without solid proof, it can get you into big legal trouble. It’s like telling a teacher your classmate cheated on a test — but you have zero proof. That’s called defamation (saying something false that hurts someone’s reputation).
The Walkback
Then, on Thursday, O’Leary suddenly changed his tune. He posted a statement on social media saying:
"I have no evidence that Alliance for a Better Utah, Elevate Strategies, Gabrielle Finlayson, Taylor Knuth, or Josh Kanter are funded by China or the Chinese Communist Party."
Basically, he admitted he was wrong and had no proof.
The Apology Tour Begins
Once O’Leary admitted he had no evidence, Fox News found itself in a really awkward spot. So they did something they almost never do — they went into cleanup mode.
Here’s how it played out:
-
Maria Bartiromo (a Fox News host) went on air first, on Friday, and corrected the record. She said Fox News was "aware of no evidence" that the accused people or groups were connected to China. Then she said: "Fox News Media apologizes for the error."
- Other hosts on different Fox shows followed with similar statements, including:
- "The Big Weekend Show"
- "Saturday in America"
- "The Big Money Show"
Interesting Detail: Even though this was clearly an apology, the hosts carefully avoided actually saying the word "apologize" in most cases. It’s like when a kid says "I’m sorry you feel that way" instead of a real "I’m sorry."
Why Did This Happen? The Big Lawsuit Connection
You might be wondering: Why would Fox News, a network that rarely apologizes, suddenly go on an "apology tour"?
The answer likely connects to a massive lawsuit from 2023.
The Dominion Settlement
Fox News paid $787 million to settle a defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems. Fox had aired false claims about Dominion’s voting machines during the 2020 election. That settlement was one of the biggest in media history.
Key Takeaway: After writing a nearly $800 million check, Fox News became much more careful about letting guests say unproven things on their air. The O’Leary situation showed that the network is now very aware of defamation risk — even if the consequence is just embarrassment rather than another huge legal bill.
People familiar with the matter told Status that no money changed hands this time, and a Fox spokesperson declined to comment further.
How Did the Accused People React?
The people O’Leary accused didn’t just sit quietly. Jackie Morgan and Gabrielle Finlayson, Democratic strategists who co-founded Elevate Strategies, had some fun with it:
- They told Business Insider: "The only foreign operative here is a Canadian wealthy person trying to ruin our state." (O’Leary is Canadian! )
- They posted TikTok videos making fun of him for wearing flip-flops with a suit
- They joked: "We run Democratic campaigns in the state of Utah. If we were in this to be making money, we would be doing literally anything else."
- They even sold their own hats as a joke, saying: "Please support us, because we might need lawyers."
Why This Matters
This whole situation teaches us a few important things:
- Words have consequences. When you go on national TV and accuse people of being foreign agents, that’s a big deal — especially without proof.
- Apologies are rare in media. Fox News almost never does this, which makes this story noteworthy.
- Legal history changes behavior. The $787 million Dominion settlement appears to have made Fox more cautious about unsubstantiated claims on air.
- Social media can push back. The accused groups used TikTok and interviews to defend themselves and even poke fun at the situation.
Summary
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Who | Kevin O’Leary (Mr. Wonderful from Shark Tank) |
| What he did | Accused Utah data center opponents of being Chinese government proxies on Fox Business |
| The problem | He had no evidence for his claims |
| The walkback | O’Leary admitted on social media he had no proof |
| The apology | Multiple Fox News hosts went on air to correct the record and apologize |
| Why it matters | Fox rarely apologizes; the $787M Dominion settlement likely made them more careful |
| The reaction | The accused groups mocked O’Leary and sold joke hats |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is a data center, and why was Kevin O’Leary building one in Utah?
A: A data center is a big building full of computers that store and process information — kind of like a giant brain for the internet. O’Leary’s "Stratos Project" was meant to provide computing power for Artificial Intelligence (AI). Some local groups opposed it, possibly due to concerns about energy use or environmental impact.
Q: What is defamation?
A: Defamation is when you say something false about someone that hurts their reputation. If it’s spoken (like on TV), it’s called libel when written. The person accused can sue you for money — which is exactly what Dominion did to Fox News.
Q: Did Fox News actually say the word "apologize"?
A: Maria Bartiromo did say "Fox News Media apologizes for the error" on air. But most other hosts carefully avoided the actual word, even though they were clearly trying to walk back the false claims.
Q: Could the people Kevin O’Leary accused sue him or Fox News?
A: They potentially could. Since O’Leary admitted he had no evidence, anyone he accused would have a strong case for a defamation lawsuit. However, as of this story, no lawsuits had been filed, and no money had changed hands.
Q: Why is this story connected to the Dominion lawsuit?
A: The Dominion lawsuit cost Fox News $787 million over false election claims. That massive payout appears to have made the network much more sensitive to the risks of airing unproven accusations — which is likely why they rushed to apologize once O’Leary admitted he had no evidence.
