According to former CNN chief media correspondent Brian Stelter’s forthcoming book, “Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for American Democracy,” Fox News host Jeanine Pirro was described as a “reckless maniac” by her own executive producer. A preview of the book shared in the Daily Beast’s Confider newsletter on Monday revealed details about Pirro’s tumultuous relationship with Fox News management.
The book discloses that Fox News management initially considered Jeanine Pirro’s transition to a regular co-host on The Five a demotion. This move followed the cancellation of her weekend show, Justice with Judge Jeanine, which had played a significant role in promoting the false claim that the 2020 election was manipulated, partly due to Dominion Voting Systems. Fox News ultimately reached a settlement of $787.5 million with Dominion in the aftermath of these allegations.
According to two unnamed sources cited by Stelter, Jeanine Pirro was considered a troublesome figure at Fox News due to her unwavering loyalty to Trump and her confrontations with Fox executives weary of her dramatic antics.
Allegedly, when Fox News management suggested modifications to the opening monologues of her weekend show, Justice with Judge Jeanine, Pirro accused them of “censorship.”
Stelter’s book reveals that Pirro’s behavior had become so difficult to handle that even her own executive producer labeled her as a “reckless maniac.” Consequently, because “nobody wanted to deal with her,” as one of the sources noted, Pirro was reassigned to The Five, where she no longer had control over crafting monologues or selecting her own guests.
Although Pirro’s move to The Five resulted in a significantly larger viewership, Stelter pointed out that this transition might not have been the most comfortable role for a former prosecutor in her seventies. This change was more convenient for “the managers and lawyers.”
