Fox News host Jesse Watters sparked controversy on Tuesday by declaring that “people will say anything for a paycheck,” a statement that drew criticism given his own history of making false and misleading remarks on the network. Watters made the comment while discussing the hush money trial against former President Donald Trump, in which prosecutors allege that Trump and National Enquirer publisher David Pecker engaged in a “catch and kill” scheme to suppress potentially damaging stories about Trump ahead of the 2016 election. Watters’s statement was met with criticism on social media, with many pointing out the irony of his remarks given that his employer, Fox News, settled a defamation lawsuit for a record-breaking $787.5 million last year after Dominion Voting Systems sued the network for promoting false claims about the 2020 election.
Watters, who has been repeatedly criticized for his racist, misogynistic, and dishonest remarks on Fox News, has also faced criticism from his own family members. His mother has expressed alarm over his on-air conduct, and his wife reportedly filed for divorce in 2018 after he made offensive comments about women on the show “The Five.”
Despite the criticism, Watters has remained a prominent figure on Fox News, known for his conservative views and willingness to make inflammatory statements. His comments about “people saying anything for a paycheck” have drawn particular attention due to his own history of making false and misleading statements on the network, highlighting the ongoing debate about the role of truth and accuracy in media.
