Laura Ingraham, host of “The Ingraham Angle,” followed in her Fox News colleagues’ ill-fated footsteps on Tuesday afternoon when she openly endorsed two Republican candidates in close races.
Just a couple of hours before, Fox News had issued a statement criticizing hosts Sean Hannity and Jeanine Pirro for hopping onstage with President Donald Trump at a Monday evening campaign rally. The network called the hosts' move an “unfortunate distraction” that “has been addressed,” but did not specify what action it had taken.
“Fox News does not condone any talent participating in campaign events,” the network said. “We have an extraordinary team of journalists helming our coverage tonight and we are extremely proud of their work.”
A handful of Fox News employees told CNN’s Oliver Darcy that people throughout the network were upset, believing that “a new line was crossed.”
Observers accused Hannity, Fox News’ biggest star, of campaigning for the president as he ostensibly represented a network of journalists. Onstage, Trump praised the Fox host as one of the “incredible people” who had “done an incredible job for us” while Hannity decried other journalists’ work as “fake news.”
The president also called up Pirro, whose program Trump is also known to watch.
As criticism of Hannity and Pirro continued to build, Ingraham tweeted out a pair of endorsements: one for Connecticut gubernatorial hopeful Bob Stefanowski (R) and another for incumbent Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas).
“Connecticut, it’s time to break free from high taxes, corrupt governance,” Ingraham wrote. “Vote Bob Stefanowski for governor.”
Two hours later, she wrote, “Everyone in TX get out and vote for [Pete Sessions] who is one of the finest congressmen you could hope for! Do NOT stay home.”
Stefanowski is up against Democratic candidate Ned Lamont, while Sessions is battling Democrat Colin Allred. Polls show both races to be a toss-up, although Allred showed a small lead on Monday.