Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo spent Friday carrying water in President Donald Trump’s ongoing attempt to distract the public from the Epstein scandal, blaming the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election for his inability to secure popular performers for events like his inauguration.

“You cannot underestimate what it did to a sitting president. The perception that it created around Donald Trump, the perception,” Bartiromo rambled. “That perception made a lot of things happen. People were not going and taking jobs in his first administration. He wasn’t able to get talented and the right people in the right jobs. You remember all those celebrities wouldn’t sing at his, you know, at big event at the inauguration, Hollywood.”

The fact that Trump ran what was arguably the most transparently racist campaign in modern history, infamously labeling Mexican immigrants “rapists” and “drug dealers,” was a sizable reason why only fringe acts like Kid Rock and Bible salesman Lee Greenwood were willing to perform on his behalf. 

And because his 2024 campaign somehow managed to be even more racist and destructive than the first go-around, most popular musicians actively campaigned against him. 

Fox News has a long history of shielding its audience from the catastrophic failures of Trump’s presidency. But ghouls like Bartiromo are facing their most difficult challenge yet: running interference amid the growing fallout from the Epstein files.

Trump’s obstinate refusal to fulfill one of his most prominent campaign promises—the release of all materials related to Jeffrey Epstein—has pushed him to double and triple down on baseless and absurd conspiratorial attacks against President Barack Obama.

But Bartiromo, like most of MAGAland, seems willing to publicly humiliate herself in service of a flailing meal ticket.