Fox News faceoff: Beck vs. Goler on Michelle Obama's Spain vacation

On tonight's episode of his Fox News show, Glenn Beck continued his criticism of Michelle Obama's trip to Spain, calling the First lady's accommodations “opulent” and claiming the “mother-daughter” trip that was “just for her and approximately 40 of her friends.” As an added bonus, Beck even threw in a conspiracy theory about how the First Lady's trip is part of President Obama's “plan” to be a one-term president and to become so unpopular that when Hillary Clinton steps in, she'll “look like Ronald Reagan” in comparison. From the show:

BECK: I thought the President was out of touch with the average American because he prefers arugula, plays basketball with LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, sings with Paul McCartney. And his wife threw me off the scent of 'struggle' just a little bit with her recent mother-daughter trip to Spain. She flew on an AC32A, that's a 757, which usually serves as Air Force Two, and sometimes Air Force One. It only costs $11,351 per hour to operate.

Then the First lady reserved 30 rooms at an opulent 5-Star hotel. Oh, it's beautiful. It was just for her and approximately 40 of her friends. Now I'm not a sacrifice expert, so forgive me, but where exactly is the sacrifice here? Was this your vacation? Did she sacrifice your vacation? The security cost alone cost you the taxpayer reportedly 75 thousand dollars per day.

[...]

They're either incredibly tone deaf, or - or - Obama's just not running for re-election. He's going to be a one term president and he knows it. That was his plan, just do one term. He knew jamming everything through would make him unpopular. In fact, all the people had all the plans laid before he even, you know, won the nomination told him that. He'll take the fall for it, because the Presidency is no longer a destination. It's a portal, it's a stepping stone. And then Hillary will step in in about a year to carry all the water. Yeah, she'll say 'I gotta break with this guy.' She's gonna look like Ronald Reagan compared to Barack Obama. Oh it'll be the common sense that America is looking for. But, let's not forget that she just threw a 5 million dollar wedding for her daughter. But at least, in this case, that was her money. And she also spent all that money here in America.

Barely 20 minutes later, Fox White House correspondent Wendell Goler offered a very different take on the First Lady's trip, noting that reports that Obama has “filled a jet with friends” and “put them up at a five-star hotel” were false:

BAIER: Meanwhile Wendell, the First Lady's vacation in Spain has ended, but it continues to draw some criticism. What can you tell us about that?

GOLER: Well, we reported on the trip before she went. We also reported that reports out of Spain that she was going to fill an Air Force jet with friends and put them up at a five-star hotel were wrong. It turns out the First Lady met a couple of friends and their daughters over in Spain. The friends paid their own travel and accommodations. She flew on an Air Force jet that was mostly filled with uniformed and plain clothes Secret Service agent. They chose the hotel.

Media Matters has previously noted that right-wing media have deployed falsehoods in attacking Michelle Obama for her trip.