Fox News repeatedly promoted a false story claiming philanthropist George Soros directed people to protest at Wal-Mart on Black Friday, but it has not corrected its coverage.
Fox figures claimed that Soros was acting through MoveOn.org to orchestrate protests over labor conditions at Wal-Mart. While MoveOn did send an email urging recipients to support the Black Friday protests, it asked them to sign a petition, not attend the events, and MoveOn says that Soros made only one donation to the organization in 2004.
Fox covered the false story Tuesday on America Live, Your World with Neil Cavuto, and The Five, and Fox Nation is still running the headline "Soros Behind Black Friday Strike."
Fox's coverage echoed a Daily Caller article published Tuesday. The Daily Caller has since updated its reporting, removing all references to Soros in its article and appending a correction saying that he "does not appear connected" to the protests.
On The Five, co-host Greg Gutfeld used the false story to suggest that President Obama could appoint Soros the "destroy America czar" because Soros "hates this place." Co-host Eric Bolling claimed that Soros "wants chaos at Wal-Mart on Black Friday," while Andrea Tantaros said that Soros is "trying to drive a stake through the heart of the U.S. recovery":
These attacks fit the right-wing media's pattern of launching unhinged smears on Soros, a financier who has donated to liberal causes.
Fox News has not yet aired a correction to any of its reports.
