Accused Capitol rioter had 'Foxitis,' his attorney says: He 'started believing what was being fed to

[reACTIONary]

Source: Washington Post

Accused Capitol rioter had ‘Foxitis,’ his attorney says: He 'started believing what was being fed to him’

In the six months leading up to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Anthony Antonio spent his days watching Fox News — a habit that actually made him ill, his attorney told a D.C. federal magistrate judge on Thursday.

His ailment? “Foxitis,” his attorney said, the HuffPost reported. “He became hooked with what I call … ‘Foxmania.’ ”

In the virtual hearing, which went awry when another alleged Capitol rioter interrupted with obscenities, Antonio’s attorney, Joseph Hurley, claimed that Fox News’s decision to regularly air then-President Donald Trump’s false claims of mass election fraud contributed to Antonio’s decision to participate in the insurrection.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/05/07/fox-news-anthony-antonio-capitol-riot/

---

Ah! The old Twinkie defense!

[MissMillie]

1. I suppose he was bound and gagged and forced to watch Fox

Being drunk doesn't excuse anyone for driving drunk and killing someone. Why should this defense fly?

[OldBaldy1701E]

12. It shouldn't

But, I also know how insane our justice system can get, so I won't say it 'can't'.

[hot2na]

47. Its not like anyone kicked him in the yarbels and made him watch fox

[reACTIONary]

2. Another insurrectionist filed an amicus brief...

The hearing grew increasingly chaotic when another alleged rioter, who was waiting for his own hearing, interjected repeatedly.... At the mention of “Foxitis,” he yelled, “I object," “F--- all of you,” “I don’t like you people” and “You can’t come get me if I don’t want you to,”. The judge ordered him evaluated for mental competency.

[OldBaldy1701E]

16. They need to do this for every single one of them

And, once it is shown that they were in their right minds, and that their actions were the result of arrogance and massive Dunning Kruger Syndrome, then we can stop with the attempts to prove these insurrectionists were anything other than asshats. And, dangerous ones at that for buying into anything some flashy television how tells them is real. Their only 'ailment' is stupidity, which is devastating, but is not illegal inandof itself.

[twodogsbarking]

3. If all of your friends were jumping off of a cliff would you?

I say he would.

[reACTIONary]

4. In fact, he did. nt

[oldsoftie]

5. Sorry, you're an adult. You have free will

And if he REALLY spent his "days" watching nothing but Fox, the prosecution can show plenty of clips from actual NEWS people to contradict the blathering from Tucker et al.
Hell, Fox was the first network to call the election for Biden!

[mpcamb]

6. Can we start re-education camps, like the commies did, for a-hole dissenters?

[machoneman]

11. Yes, and forced labor breaking stones with a sledge, stones painted up w/Trump's image!

[Yonnie3]

7. He can sue fox news, right after his conviction. n/t

[KS Toronado]

35. That's a great idea, a mass class action lawsuit against misinformation.

FQX needs to go down the drain for the good of the country. Maybe we should push the DOJ or FCC to do something.

[Justice matters.]

62. The owneR of FQX lives in Australia.

R there extradition treaties with Aussies?

[KS Toronado]

68. I was thinking FQX the business, but yes it should include Rupert Murdoch

since he's the owner. Fairly certain we can extradite him if necessary, besides I believe he's in this country
quite a bit.

[TexasBushwhacker]

69. Yes, he has homes in NY, CA and England

He hasn't lived in Australia in decades and became an American citizen in 1985.

[Justice matters.]

70. Lachlan Murdoch now lives in COVID-free Australia.

Rupert MuRdoch's Evil EmpiRe has been handed down to his two sons, James & Lachlan. James Murdoch resigned from his post over the Evil-EmpiRe's standing on Climate Change (denying it). Lachlan, the remaining CEO of the Evil EmpiRe, recently moved to COVID-free Australia because he wanted to live in a COVID-free environment.

[The Wizard]

8. Infoxicated

[Ohioboy]

9. lol

[NCjack]

49. +1. Excellent extension of language. I will be using it!

[LudwigPastorius]

57. He had rube-ella.

assfluenza

dolt-theria

cretinpox

twit-itus

kooktussis

clownulosis

and

Acquired Graymatter Deficiency Syndrome

[Best_man23]

10. This is not going to work

Unless they can prove someone at Faux strapped him to a chair in front of a TV w/Faux News and forced his eyes open, like in Robot Chicken.

[ancianita]

13. Stupidity is a choice and not a defense.

Defense lawyers can put lipstick on the stupidity pig, but it insults both judges and pigs.

[whopis01]

14. He isn't wrong

He still still bears the full blame and consequences of his actions. But pointing out the role that Fox and other media sources played in this is important.

This movement didn’t happen because a bunch of independently thinking people came to the same conclusion and then decided to band together. These people were told what to believe and what to do and then happily went along with it. The large media entities pushing the lies and stoking the fears played an integral role in what happened.

He deserves no absolution based on this. But at the same time, Fox, and other entities, should be held responsible as well.

[Laha]

18. This

As more and more people come out and say 'I did it because Fox told me to,' Fox should be held more and more accountable for what they say. They're not just screaming fire in a crowded theatre, they're screaming it across the country and people have already lost their lives as a result. Fucker Carlson and the rest have blood on their hands.

[Wednesdays]

32. Amen.

Fox is a scourge on this country.

And yet, wasn't it the Repug Party that, for two generations, endlessly repeated "Personal responsibility! Personal responsibility!"?

[Justice matters.]

63. Everything they claim to be is BS.

The owner of FQX lives in Australia (Rupert Murdoch's son).

R there extradition treaties with Aussies?

[PatSeg]

37. I agree

Though he still bares responsibility for his actions, it is good to call out Fox News whenever possible. I hope more lawyers try to use this defense so Fox can be indicted along side the insurrectionists. Perhaps it will help to loosen Fox's grip on some Americans. Maybe it will eventually lead to some class action lawsuits as well.

[Skittles]

67. while I agree

I bet these idiots are still watching Fox News

[FailureToCommunicate]

15. "But, Judge, they FORCED me to watch FOX!!"

Last edited Fri May 7, 2021, 09:24 AM - Edit history (1)

[Montauk6]

17. So, does this mean that we should grant amnesty to Nazi participants in the Holocaust...

...because they suffered from Goebbelsitis?

Or we should look the other way on racist White supremacist/separatist groups because they're victims of "Lost Cause"-itis?


GTFOH!!!

[rpannier]

19. I think I've heard of it

That's the one where you are highly contagious and need to be totally isolated from everyone for 15-20 years

[TNNurse]

20. Admitting you are a gullible fool is a start,

but it is not a defense.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

21. Well at least he didn't plead "affluenza". nt

[niyad]

27. The first word that popped into my head.

[johnthewoodworker]

22. A Republican/Nazi was moronic enough to ingest, and act on, bullshit. Same old, same old.

[Baitball Blogger]

23. White conservatives can come up with the most creative excuses.

I heard of the "You made me do it" defense. And now it's the "Fox made me do it" defense.

[NewHendoLib]

24. this is no joke - this is how propaganda works

we have nearly half of the population infected with Rushitis, Hannityitis, Foxmania, etc - but IT WORKS. It is NOT a defense for the listener - it is a warning that the half of us who maintains our sanity can't take it lightly - somehow it must be confronted. That the BIG LIE persists is an utter failure of our system, and our media.

[lonely bird]

28. Not to mention a complete failure of critical thinking

Our society does not encourage critical thinking. Faux Noise in particular and conservatism in general do not want people thinking. Add in instant gratification and poor impulse control and what do we get? Mass idiocy and the maturity of spoiled 4 year olds.

[NewHendoLib]

30. and a heavy dose of narcissism, aided by social networking tools

[summer_in_TX]

65. Propaganda and brainwashing.

The documentary "The Brainwashing of My Dad" is a real example of the changes a diet of RW media had on a man, and then how his personality changed again when his wife and daughter made it impossible for him to have a solely RW media diet anymore.

An earlier documentary, "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism," showed some of the techniques they used.

Heck, Jon Stewart illustrated the Republicans' brainwashing techniques perfectly. The administration spokesperson would use a new turn of phrase in the morning, then every pundit and anchor on RW media would use the exact same phrase. Studies into Hitler and Goebbels' techniques showed the power of repetition ("broken record technique&quot and the "bandwagon effect" (a desire to join what seems to be a trend).

The notion that Obama wasn't born in the U.S. was given credence and wings by the toxic stew of RW media plus a few well-dressed members of Congress plus a certain loud-mouthed billionaire along with repetition.

Not that those who fall for the lies aren't responsible for their actions. But theirs isn't the only culpability here.

[louis-t]

25. I love this defense.

Take fox down with them.

[Paladin]

26. I never cut my ex-friends any slack due to their "Foxitis."

So I'm good with this Capitol rioter spending the rest of his miserable life behind bars.

[AllaN01Bear]

29. nonsensical. bah humbug. lunacy. silly

foxitis . oh laywers are now drs .?

[Devil Child]

31. So many of these idiots running with the fox made me do it angle

I could’ve sworn these types also claimed they were the critical thinkers!?

[woodsprite]

33. I always got the impression Hurley was kind of an a$$hole defense attorney

taking high profile cases in DE like Capano, Grossberg/Peterson, etc.

Supposedly he dropped Capano before the hearing because he had a message from God during a church service.

Wonder what God is telling him about Antonio?

[reACTIONary]

61. I didn't know this guy is well known...

.... his defense strategy sounds like something a billboard lawyer with a 1-800 number would come up with.

[JohnSJ]

34. That isn't going to fly

[Aristus]

36. Ah, the self-proclaimed "Party of Personal Responsibility" strikes again!

"It's not my fault, Your Honor! I have a syndrome! I have a condition! I'm the victim here!"

[Marcuse]

38. This is your brain when Fox is on. Any questions?

[BumRushDaShow]

39. "Foxitis" is right up there with "affluenza"

We are going to need a whole new medical dictionary for what "ails" the GOP loons!

[hadEnuf]

41. Using "Foxitis" as a defense is nonsense,

but it still identifies Fox as the subversive and brainwashing propaganda toll that it is.

Fox needs to be broken up and identified for what it really is.

[IronLionZion]

42. It would be a good side effect if Fox faces some consequences for inciting violence

and other RW media like hate radio.

[keroro gunsou]

43. 21st century twinkie defense

are you kidding me? seriously?

[The Unmitigated Gall]

44. Atkins, Van Houten, Krenwinkel and Watson...

“We had Mansonitis!!!” Um....no.

[ThatJustHappened]

45. The Stupid -- It Burns

Get ready for lots more of this
Cuz the Capitol Rioters
Are the dumbest of the dumb

The one thing the radicalized / indoctrinated
Have in common
Is extreme unintelligence and ignorance

It's what all extremists have in common:
Opus Dei, ISIS, Heaven's Gate, David Koresh
Ruby Ridge, McVeigh, Militia Members, Nazis
Religious nutbags (i.e., ~80% of the GOP)
Covid/Mask/Vaxx/Climate/Science/Reality-deniers

Sure, there's some incidence of schizotypals
(~5x the national average of 4% of population)
And the folks at the top are more evil than stupid
But the followers are dumber than bricks

Which is why the newfound criticism of liberal woke-ism
Being too judgemental/moralistic/blaming of the alt-reich
From James Carville and the like is wrong headed
Cuz ya gotta call a spade a spade
And ignorant = dumb = indoctrinated = lies = evil

[UpInArms]

66. Nice

👍🏼

[malthaussen]

46. If "Ignorance of the law is no excuse," then how about plain ignorance?

Your defendant was suffering from "Foxitis," eh? Fine, he gets a double sentence.

-- Mal

[Jetheels]

48. Is this the new Twinkie defense?

[czarjak]

50. Unsolicited testimonial?

[Wingus Dingus]

51. Foxmentia.

[SpankMe]

52. How convenient - these right-wing fuckers

They live their lives hanging on every word FoxNews says. When confronted with facts and contrary evidence, they cry out "fake news - deep state - conspiracy", and they go on believing in the almighty Fox.

Then, when they get caught committing criminal acts, their lawyers are all of a sudden "oh, they were duped by this tricky FoxNews organization. They're not responsible for their actions. It was Fox foolery!"

If we could convert "hate" into electrical energy, the amount of hate I have for Republicans and today's flavor of conservatism each day could power a modern Air Force base. During business hours. In the peak of summer. With back-up power capability.

[Dr. T]

53. The righties are always throwing out the

"radical left wing liberal" line of crap every chance they get on any venue that will have them. Why isn't ANYBODY using the term "radical right wing conservative agenda/terrorist/policy"? These bastards need to be labeled for what they are. Might make some of them think.

[AngryOldDem]

54. They want to be in charge...

....yet they prove on a daily basis that they’re dumber than a box of rox.

If this defense holds up, Fox should be declared a menace to public health and be dealt with accordingly.

[Eyeball_Kid]

55. Just another version of "The Devil made me do it!" n/t

[LudwigPastorius]

56. "Your Honor, my client is a mouth-breathing moron...basically, a walking brain stem...so, he...

should not be held liable for breaking the law."


Ever heard of ignorantia juris non excusat, counselor?

[DallasNE]

58. Back In The Early 1950's I Remember My Dad Glued To The Radio To Listen To Gabriel Heater

He hung on every word Heater said. Farm prices were good so he could indulge in his favorite pastime. Then under Eisenhower farm prices collapsed and times were suddenly hard. Then along came a change to extend Social Security to farmers where they could draw full benefits after paying in for a short period of time. Gabriel Heater was suddenly no longer on the radio. And he re-registered as a Democrat. Impact the pocketbook and attitudes change. At least for some.

[ThatJustHappened]

59. "Diminished Capacity"

Is the official legal defense

perfect encapsulation of every Fox viewer and the entire GOP


As explained by former senior FBI official Chuck Rosenberg

Which simply means that my client is too stupid to tell the difference between truth and fiction

Therefore he could not have formed true intent

Cuz he's just an idiot robot who cannot think for himself


It's a lame defense and will not suffice

But it does perfectly explain the overlapping Venn Diagrams of the religious right, the GOP, FOX viewers and MAGA scum

[reACTIONary]

60. welcome to DU! nt

[Justice matters.]

64. The owneR of FQX lives in Australia.

R there extradition treaties with Aussies?

[ck4829]

71. Kick