Trump and Fox News’ new policies are merely ‘common sense’
President Trump’s rapid-fire policy actions are reshaping the federal government, and to Fox News, they are simply pursuing “common sense.”
Enacting “bold and sometimes painful measures” is worth it, one Fox News host said, to arrive at “common sense.” Mr. Trump’s term so far, another Fox pundit concluded, could be summed up with that simple catchphrase: It’s a “restoration of common sense.”
“Trump isn’t radical — he’s just radically changing our country back to normal,” Jesse Watters said during Monday’s episode of “Jesse Watters Primetime.” He said Mr. Trump’s plans to “deport migrants” and cut waste were “all common-sense moves.”
The flood of “common sense” comments on Fox News echoes the language Mr. Trump and his new administration have used to justify his policies — many of which have deeply divided the country, polls have shown. The slogan has been used to justify a wide range of policies, including banning paper straws and reversing climate change efforts. It has also been described as the administration’s first weeks being a “revolution in the common sense.” The White House has hired nearly 20 former Fox News employees, many of whom are at the highest level. Former hosts Pete Hegseth and Sean Duffy now lead the Transportation Department. Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, has received her own show on the network.
Fox News declined to comment.
Harrison Fields, the principal deputy press secretary for the White House, said that “common sense” was not a new term for Mr. Trump.
“No polling is needed to know that President Trump’s common sense, America First promises are wildly popular with the American people — the proof is in his historic victory,” Mr. Fields said.
The suggestion from Fox News and the White House is that Mr. Trump’s “common sense” policies are not only the right ones but also have wide support among the vast majority of Americans. The polling data has revealed a more complex picture. Trump’s attempts to ban diversity equity and inclusion – also known as D.E.I. According to a New York Times/Ipsos survey conducted in January, just before Trump’s inauguration, the country is evenly divided: 48 percent oppose such programs, while 47 percent are in favor. Mr. Trump supported aid to Israel while in the same poll, 53 percent said that the United States spent too much on the country. According to a January poll, about 80 percent of Americans, including two thirds of Democrats, said that transgender women shouldn’t be allowed to participate in women’s sport. According to the January poll, Mr. Trump has signed an executive order that prohibits their participation. The poll revealed that a larger percentage, 87 percent, supports deporting undocumented immigrants with criminal records. The term “common sense” was mentioned nearly 500 times on Fox News in January, according to data from Critical Mention, a media monitoring company. This is an increase of around 200 per month over the years prior. According to Critical Mention’s media monitoring data, the term “commonsense” was used nearly 500 times on Fox News in January. This is a significant increase from the 200 mentions per month that it had been in previous years. Gallagher, in a segment on Fox News, dismissed the controversy by pointing out some of the programs funded by U.S.A.I.D. : “Common sense would not describe this as foreign aid but rather a domestic boondoggle, a multibillion-dollar boondoggle.”
Recent polling shows that a majority of Americans — about 60 percent — support focusing on problems at home rather than abroad, a shift from 2019, when Americans were evenly split on that question. A 2014 poll also revealed that 95% of respondents either overestimated the amount spent by the United States on foreign assistance or did not know. The correct answer is less than 1% of the federal budget. Mark Levin, Fox News host, and a close ally of Donald Trump, raised the catchphrase from the White House on his show. When he uses the phrase “common sense,” for many people, this means conservative. “Because conservative is commonsense.”
Ruth igielnik contributed reporting.
