OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
An entire floor of the Fox News New York headquarters had to be evacuated, and a host had to isolate himself in his office. After a white powdery substance was sent to the building.
The incident happened on Friday at the News Corp. Building after the substance was discovered, WPIX reported.
The call came it at around 11:25 a.m., and the scene remained active as of Friday afternoon.
The building, at 1211 Sixth Avenue, houses — among other operations — FOX News and its studios.
Following an investigation, officials at FOX News Media said the substance was not deemed to be hazardous.
“An envelope containing a white powdery substance was opened at FOX News Media today,” a spokesperson for FOX News said. “We immediately notified the NYPD’s Hazmat unit and the FDNY, both of which responded accordingly and our offices were given an all clear after it was determined that the substance was non-hazardous. We are very grateful for their swift attention to this incident.”
“Please know that all protocols for a situation like this were followed and the matter is being further investigated by the appropriate authorities. The 21st floor, and thus the entire building, have now been given the all clear,” they said.
Days before this incident protesters gathered outside of the Fox News studios where they burned an American flag and pictures of Tucker Carlson.
“You’re full of lies, you’re all racists and Nazis you’re Zionists, you’re KKK, Proud Boys…” one of the protesters said.
Earlier today a small group of BLM protesters gathered outside Fox News HQ in midtown Manhattan to protest the media company
"You're all racist, you're nazis, you're zionists, you're KKK" pic.twitter.com/To9Wa2Sw53
— Elad Eliahu (@elaadeliahu) August 12, 2021
A protester lights a smoke signal outside Fox News HQ in Midtown pic.twitter.com/ebveFYBaOd
— Elad Eliahu (@elaadeliahu) August 12, 2021
protesters light an American flag and a picture of @TuckerCarlson outside Fox News HQ pic.twitter.com/P6BxRL96QL
— Elad Eliahu (@elaadeliahu) August 12, 2021
Fox News has been a network disliked by many liberals for a long time but it has recently faced scorn from the Republican side as well.
Former Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, who is now on the board at Fox News, took aim at Donald Trump in May and Trump hit right back.
Ryan made the comments at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California, as he directed his fury at the 45th President of the United States, Newsweek reported.
“Even for our good showing in the House, 2020 left Republicans powerless in Washington,” he said. “Even worse, it was horrifying to see a presidency come to such a dishonorable and disgraceful end. So, once again we conservatives find ourselves at a crossroads. Here’s the reality that we have to face: If the conservative cause depends on the populist appeal of one personality, or on second-rate imitations, then we’re not going anywhere.”
“Voters looking for Republican leaders want to see independence and mettle,” he said. “They will not be impressed by the set of yes men and flatterers flocking to Mar-a-Lago. We win majorities by directing our loyalty and respect to voters and by staying faithful to the conservative principles that unite us.”
He tackled wokeism and cancel culture in the speech, saying that the progressives have gone too far with it but that conservatives have become enamored with it.
“We need to be frank,” he said. “Today, too many people on the right are enamored with identity politics in ways that are antithetical to Reagan conservatism.”
It did not take long for Trump to respond to Ryan in an email sent from his Save America PAC.
“RINO Paul Ryan, who became a lame duck Speaker of the House, lost all vote-getting capability with the people he represented in Wisconsin, and was the single biggest factor, other than Romney himself, for the monumental Romney/Ryan loss in the Presidential race of 2012 (I got more votes by far, 75M, than any sitting president in history!), and he is now speaking to other Republicans telling them how to win elections. Interestingly, I was in the Great State of Wisconsin when they booed him off the podium—I literally had to come to his rescue,” Trump said.
“Ryan should instead be telling them how to stop the cheating of elections and that we would have won if Republican leadership fought the way the Democrats did.
“It was the day that Ryan went on the board of Fox (Fox will never be the same!) that Fox totally lost its way and became a much different place, with millions of its greatest supporters fleeing for good. Paul Ryan has been a curse to the Republican Party. He has no clue as to what needs to be done for our Country, was a weak and ineffective leader, and spends all of his time fighting Republicans as opposed to Democrats who are destroying our Country.
“As a Republican, having Paul Ryan on your side almost guarantees a loss, for both you, the Party, and America itself!” he said.
