Fox News said a Democrat misrepresented herself as Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D., Ariz.) to get on "Fox & Friends First" and deliver an anti-Trump administration message on Monday.
The early-morning program's hosts thought they were going to speak to Kirkpatrick, who was recently booed at a Democratic primary event for announcing her support for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE. Prominent Democrats such as congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) have called for the agency's abolition.
"And joining us now, that candidate," co-host Jillian Mele said. "The only Democrat on stage to support ICE. Ann Kirkpatrick, thank you for joining us, we appreciate it. Tell us why you do support ICE."
"Good morning. I’m actually here to speak directly to Donald Trump," the woman said. "I feel that what’s happening at the border is wrong. I’m a mother of four and I believe that separating kids from their parents is illegal and inhumane."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6klQMzww3g
She went on to identify herself as Barbara L'Italien, a state senator "representing a large immigrant community" who is running for Congress in Massachusetts' 3rd Congressional District. However, she continued to be identified on-screen as Kirkpatrick.
"I keep thinking about what we’re putting parents through, imagining how terrifying that must be for those families, imagining how it would feel not knowing if I’d ever see my kids again," she said. "We have to stop abducting children and ripping them from their parents’ arms, and stop putting kids in cages, and stop making 3-year-olds defend themselves in court."
Co-host Rob Schmitt started to interrupt as she went on, calling her "Ms. Kirkpatrick," and said that practice had stopped and parents were being reunited with their children at the border.
"Who is this? Who is this?" Schmitt finally asked.
She again said she was L'Italien, and the show cut off her satellite feed.
"Fox & Friends First" executive producer Desiree Dunne said in a statement that it invited Kirkpatrick to appear on the show through Joe Katz, her press contact on file. He replied and confirmed the segment and even included a campaign logo for Kirkpatrick to make it seem like he was still representing her, according to Fox News.
"This morning we invited Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick to appear on Fox & Friends First through her press contact on file Joe Katz, who accepted the invitation on Kirkpatrick’s behalf. Katz followed with an email confirming the segment, which also included background information and a campaign logo for Ann Kirkpatrick," Dunne said. "During the actual segment, Barbara L’Italien, appeared on camera instead of Kirkpatrick. Despite speaking to producers prior to the interview, L’Italien did not identify herself as anything other than Kirkpatrick until she was live on air, at which point we ended the interview."
Katz told Boston.com he felt his candidate could "take advantage of that opportunity" when the station reached out to him. He also said he hadn't worked for Kirkpatrick since 2010.
"Fox News is where you go when you want to talk to Donald Trump," Katz said. "Barbara felt she had an obligation to her constituents to take advantage of that opportunity. But this would not have happened to an actual news station. Fox’s lack of attention to the facts normally is a disaster for the country, it just so happened that today it was embarrassing for them."
He did not respond to the Washington Free Beacon's request for additional comment.
Mele apologized for the awkward moment afterward.
https://youtu.be/k6RxqhdWkTI