Live on air: Mother Jones secures the ass

This week, Fox News found itself in a rare position: it had to protect itself live on air.

Host Jesse Watters has a history of making misogynistic remarks. But on Monday, he apparently went too far by Fox's low (low) standards. During a panel, he made a vulgar remark about Vice President Kamala Harris, claiming she was “paralyzed in the situation room while the generals do whatever they want with her.”

Fox News isn't exactly known for issuing apologies or corrections—they paid nearly $800 million in a settlement to avoid doing just that when Dominion, a voting machine manufacturer, sued Fox over its rampant 2020 election lies. But as Mother Jones creator Kat Abughazaleh points out, the real question is how long Fox can indulge “smug assholes” like Watters without getting its fingers burned?

When even Jeanine Pirro tells you to “take it back,” you should know you've gone too far. Watters tried to make up for his mess the next day, claiming his comments had been “misconstrued.” But his grin said it all.

As her rhetoric becomes more racist and misogynistic, and the stakes in the election campaign get higher and higher, Fox may have lost her credibility for good. Because if you're willing to risk everything for Jesse Watters' weirdly horny views, maybe it's time to rethink how much you're willing to lose.