After a Fox News anchor blasted House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), for claims she’d made about the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision, a left-leaning fact-check organization decided to investigate — and it found for Fox News.
Pelosi attacked the decision at her weekly media briefing, where she claimed the court’s male majority determined what reproductive choices women are allowed to make.
“We should be afraid of this court,” Pelosi insisted at Thursday’s briefing. “That five guys should start determining what contraceptions are legal.”
Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly eviscerated the minority leader on her Thursday evening broadcast.
“Nancy Pelosi either doesn’t know what she is talking about, or is intentionally misleading you,” Kelly said, then adding that she was guilty of sexism. “Newsflash: All birth control that was legal before this decision remains legal today!”
Kelly also challenged PolitiFact.com, a liberal Tampa Bay Times project, to look into Pelosi’s statements. The fact checker found Pelosi’s assertions “false” late Friday, and Kelly made note of it on her broadcast that evening. Watch that segment of her show below.
PolitiFact concluded:
The Hobby Lobby decision didn’t turn on whether certain types of contraception should be legal, but rather on the question of whether certain corporations could decide on religious grounds not to pay for specific types of contraceptives in employee health insurance plans. Experts say that there are solid legal precedents that would keep the Supreme Court from actually banning forms of contraception outright.
We rate the claim False.
USA Today and Daily Beast columnist, as well as liberal Fox News contributor Kirsten Powers tweeted:
PolitiFact says ‘false’ to Pelosi claim SCOTUS is ‘five guys who start determining what contraceptions are legal’ http://t.co/m6P7sIR0gg
— Kirsten Powers (@KirstenPowers) July 11, 2014
Charlotte, S.C.-based writer Mike Beasley tweeted:
Politifact: Nancy Pelosi is basically a liar or an idiot. http://t.co/Fe1Ia91ONf
— Mike Beasley (@MikeBeas) July 12, 2014
Political strategist Brad Marston agreed:
Dear #MaPoli progs. If you claim #HobbyLobby ruling lets bosses determine women’s contraception you’re lying http://t.co/mlopWpmDjI
— Brad Marston (@BradMarston) July 12, 2014
Self-described non-PC conservative politics/pop culture junkie Stacey Toldjah remarked on Pelosi’s explanation after being called out.
LOL. MT @PolitiFact: Pelosi says she misspoke in saying SCOTUS = 5 guys who determine what contraceptions are legal http://t.co/MywSvU5N4p
— Stacey-SisterToldjah (@sistertoldjah) July 12, 2014
And then there was this gem:
@PolitiFact @WonderingWhyyy @megynkelly Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Nancy Pelosi; pic.twitter.com/dm1iwqhUbS
— Porfie Moreno (@porfie_moreno) July 12, 2014
Conclusion? Kelly is vindicated; her honor is secure. Also, PolitiFact should cover all of Pelosi’s weekly briefings.
