Just after midnight early Wednesday morning, the Christmas tree outside of the Fox News New York City headquarters in Midtown Manhattan went up in flames. The 50-foot-tall Norway spruce had just been lit days earlier during the network’s “All-American” Christmas special on Sunday — and then it was a different kind of lit.
As the fiery scene played out, Fox News host Shannon Bream updated viewers live on-air.
“This is the Fox Square in New York, outside of Fox headquarters,” Bream told viewers. “It appears that our giant Christmas tree there, just a couple of minutes ago, was completely engulfed in flames.”
Police later arrested a suspect, 49-year-old Craig Tamanaha, who was charged with seven counts including criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, and arson. According to reports on the developing case, it’s believed that Tamanaha is homeless, and the investigation includes inquiries into whether drugs may have been a factor.
By Wednesday morning, the network was putting up a united front on what the burning tree symbolized.
“We will not let this deliberate and brazen act of cowardice deter us,” said Fox News Media chief executive Suzanne Scott in a companywide memo. “We are in the process of rebuilding and installing a new tree as a message that there can be peace, light, and joy even during a dark moment like this.”
Likewise, Fox & Friends host Ainsley Earhardt condemned the vandalism Wednesday, perplexingly remarking that the Christmas tree represents “Hanukkah” and “everything we stand for as a country,” among other things.
The whole thing is obviously very sad. I mean, who doesn’t love a Christmas tree? Yet, not too many people found the Christmas spirit deep in their hearts to mourn the loss of the Fox News Christmas tree. In fact, there were more than a few jokes that the apparent “War on Christmas” agenda Fox News has been pushing for decades seems to have hit a little too close to home this year.
One person responded to tweeted video of the burning Christmas tree with the line, “When the war on Christmas was inside you all along.”
Another tweeter had an alternative theory on the torching.
Even Keith Olbermann couldn’t resist wading into the fray.
A user with the no-nonsense Twitter handle @DataDrivenMD couldn’t resist a bit of fun at their expense.
And yet another person predicted, “You just know they’ll be yelling about the war on Christmas all damn day.”
Another person opined, “Republicans are more upset with the Fox News Christmas tree on fire than with the Jan 6 terrorist attack.”
And somehow you knew that The Lincoln Project would have something to say.
Parker Molloy commented on the scene by likening it to “a 10-minute yule log video.”
Another predicted, “A lot of your tweets about that Fox News Christmas Tree may end up in a War on Christmas segment tomorrow.”
Would you settle for a We Got This Covered story instead?