Trish Regan Out at Fox Business After Referring to Coronavirus as ‘Impeachment Scam’
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Fox Business Network has severed ties with primetime host Trish Regan, who sparked controversy after claiming that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic was an “impeachment scam” around two weeks ago.
“Fox Business has parted ways with Trish Regan,” the network said in a statement. “We thank her for her contributions to the network over the years and wish her continued success in her future endeavors. We will continue our reduced live primetime schedule for the foreseeable future in an effort to allocate staff resources to continuous breaking news coverage on the coronavirus crisis.”
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The network’s decision stemmed from an early March segment on “Trish Regan Primetime,” the television host’s now-defunct show, where Regan told a multitude of lies about the virus. Regan alleged that Democrats were singularly blaming President Donald Trump for the virus and that Democrats and left-wingers had a “need to create mass hysteria to encourage a market selloff” and “stop the economy,” all while a large graphic titled “CORONAVIRUS IMPEACHMENT SCAM” was displayed onscreen.
Regan announced that her show had been placed on hiatus on March 13, the day she hosted her final show. Regan is one of several Fox personalities and guests who have recently lied and downplayed the dangers of the coronavirus pandemic.
Fox News host Jeanine Pirro downplayed the virus’ deadliness in early March, while network host Laura Ingraham, who previously taunted school shooting survivor David Hogg, then 17, for getting rejected from colleges, promoted unproven drugs in response to the pandemic. Sean Hannity previously referred to the coronavirus as a “hoax.” Conservative personality and university heir Jerry Falwell Jr. recently promoted a conspiracy theory on Fox and Friends that the coronavirus was co-created by North Korea and China to assault the United States and, like Regan, suggested that media coverage of the pandemic was politically motivated.
Though Regan’s comments about the coronavirus generated particularly strong pushback, they weren’t the first time that the television host had generated controversy. Regan’s prior segments included accusations that Christine Blasey Ford’s sexual assault claims against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh were politically motivated and a suggestion that Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) — a favorite target for racist attacks by Trump and other prominent conservatives — was antisemitic.
Regan, who joined Fox in 2015, also aired a variety of interviews with conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi, who has actively promoted the birther conspiracies about President Barack Obama’s citizenship, during her time at the network.
“I have enjoyed my time at FOX and now intend to focus on my family during these troubled times,” Regan said in a statement provided by the network. “I am grateful to my incredible team at FOX Business and for the many opportunities the network has provided me. I’m looking forward to this next chapter in my career.”
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