Former White House Press Secretary and current MSNBC host-in-waiting Jen Psaki tore into Fox News over conduct revealed in the blockbuster filings from the Dominion defamation suit during an appearance at South by Southwest (SXSW).

More stunning comments made by Fox News hosts and executives in private in the aftermath of the election were revealed Tuesday in yet another new filing by Dominion Voting Systems, which is suing Fox News for defamation and seeking $1.6 billion in damages.

In conversation with Wajahat Ali to promote her upcoming interview with Chelsea Handler and next Sunday’s debut of her MSNBC show Inside With Jen Psaki, Psaki tore into Fox News and said the really important question is not whether to call them a news network (which she says they are not) but “what to do” about it:

WAJAHAT ALI: The question I have for you then, as a former White House press secretary and now as a host on MSNBC, is should we be referring to FOX as a news network? And if so, why do we give them legitimacy?

JEN PSAKI: I don’t know. Probably not. We shouldn’t call them a news network.

WAJAHAT ALI: Probably not?

JEN PSAKI: Well, we shouldn’t, but I don’t know if that’s the most important question. I think the challenge here is all of that is insane, horrific. And everybody should think it’s crazy.

WAJAHAT ALI: Just top of the dome.

JEN PSAKI: That’s top of the dome. I mean, basically the short version of this that that very, very effective explanation is that they knew better and they lied about it to the public to keep viewers. They misled them and led to a.

WAJAHAT ALI: Deliberately, voluntarily.

JEN PSAKI: Deliberately misled them. That is, I mean, there’s a huge lawsuit about it. But the piece here that is very difficult and tricky that I think is not getting enough attention is FOX News still has an enormous viewership. I don’t know if that’s going to change. Their business model is not getting Democrats on their air. So I understand and completely relate to Democrats who are saying we should ban it. We shouldn’t appear on it. They don’t care. I’m not sure they care. Why would they care? So the question is not just what do we call them? Sure, we should decide that, but also what are we going to do about the fact that they still have an enormous viewership consuming a huge swath of the country, including independents and Democrats who still watch?

Fox News issued a statement responding to the latest documents on Monday:

Dominion’s lawsuit has always been more about what will generate headlines than what can withstand legal and factual scrutiny,” the network said, “as illustrated by them now being forced to slash their fanciful damages demand by more than half a billion dollars after their own expert debunked its implausible claims.

Their summary judgment motion took an extreme, unsupported view of defamation law that would prevent journalists from basic reporting and their efforts to publicly smear Fox for covering and commenting on allegations by a sitting President of the United States should be recognized for what it is: a blatant violation of the First Amendment.

Watch the clip above, via SXSW.

The post Jen Psaki Torches Fox News at SXSW Over ‘Horrific Insane and Crazy’ Blockbuster Lawsuit Revelations first appeared on Mediaite.

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