Halloween Edition: Fox Manipulates Yet Another AP Headline To Attack Obamas

This morning, the Fox Nation website highlighted an Associated Press article about the White House's annual tradition of giving out Halloween treats to costumed children. The article, a descriptive narrative about how the Obamas spent a snowy Saturday in front of the White House handing out “Halloween candy to trick-or-treaters from capital area elementary schools and children of military families,” bore the headline: “Things get seasonal at the White House; Obamas hand out Halloween treats.” From the AP's story and the Washington Post's photo gallery, it looked like Halloween at the White House was a roaring success. For the kids at least.

For Fox Nation, not so much. “TRICK,” blared the headline above a photo of the Obamas. The entire Fox headline read: “TRICK: Obamas Hand Out Dried Fruit at WH Halloween”:

An earlier Fox headline to the AP story read: “Happy Halloween: The Obamas Pass Out 'Fruit' ”:

Funny. Alisyn Camerota, Clayton Morris, and Dave Briggs -- otherwise known as the Fox & Friends weekend morning crew -- thought the whole thing was “cool”; including Michelle Obama's healthy goody bag. Briggs said, “I'm with Michelle Obama. I would eat that! I'd go back [for] seconds.” And Camerota agreed that dried fruit was indeed “delicious.”

Watch:

It's telling that “fruit” is what Fox Nation chose to focus on, considering the AP reported that White House treats also included “signature boxes of White House M&Ms” and “sweet dough butter cookies.” From the AP:

Trick-or-treaters marched up the White House driveway on a wet, snowy Saturday, past the spider web-like gauze, the pumpkins and the costumed actors to the mansion's north portico where President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama handed out treats, an annual tradition.

[...]

And yes, the sweets included signature boxes of White House M&Ms, signaling a temporary respite from the first lady's healthy eating campaign. Dried fruit and White House baked cookies rounded out the handouts.

Earlier this week, in an appearance on the “Tonight Show,” Obama joked to host Jay Leno that he had warned his wife that if she wanted to avoid Halloween mischief she might want to dole out more than just fruit and raisins.

“I told her the White House is going to get egged if this keeps up,” he said, suggesting that she might want to add “a couple of Reese's Pieces or something.”

In the spirit of compromise, a trait the president often says is all too rare in Washington, the M&Ms made it into the goody bags. Not exactly Reese's Pieces, but close enough. (Truth be told, the M&Ms were included in the treats last year, too). The sweet dough butter cookies were baked by White House Pastry Chef Bill Yosses.

But that's not really the point. The point is that Fox continues to look for anything to validate its attacks on President Obama and his administration, as well as Michelle Obama's campaign against childhood obesity -- which is something Fox hosts have even tried to deny exists. Their war on health has been taken to such absurd heights that Fox recently tried to suggest there was a “war on Halloween” because schools are advocating healthier alternatives to the traditional Halloween candy.

But eating healthy or even the appearance of it has become anathema to Fox. This is, after all, the network that claims “the science is not settled” on whether too much salt is bad for you.