While two of America’s cable news networks were covering the rescue of boys trapped in a Thailand cave, Fox News took time out to complain that Hillary Clinton might run for president in 2020.

“Well, does Hillary Clinton think the third time could be a charm for 2020?” Fox & Friends host Pete Hegseth asked. “In an op-ed, New York Post columnist and former Obama voter Michael Goodwin thinks she is definitely up to something.”

Former Clinton strategist Mark Penn suggested that speculation about Clinton running is “fake news.”

“I think [Goodwin] took some emails that are professionally written and tried to blow it up into a 2020 run,” Penn said. “I think Hillary may not be done with public service, she could make a great Supreme Court justice, she might even be a secretary of state again. I think she may be very interested in public service, but I don’t think she’s planning a secret run in 2020.”

Hegseth, however, was not convinced that Clinton would sit out the 2020 race.

“But is it completely outside the realm of possibility that as 2020 approaches and no other clear front-runner emerges, that she could try to make the case, ‘Hey, the third time really is the charm. Voters are ready for me now’?” Hegseth opined.

Penn pointed out that former Vice President Joe Biden has already emerged as a front-runner for Democrats in 2020.

“Clearly never too early to speculate, which we’re doing this morning,” Hegseth concluded.

In the meantime, both CNN and MSNBC were focused on breaking news that a soccer team trapped in a cave in Thailand were being rescued.

Watch the video below from Fox News.

Fox News contributor and Trump advisor Pete Hegseth says North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un “has to murder his people.” Hegseth, who was rumored to be a top Trump choice to run the Veterans Administration, made his startling remarks on “Fox & Friends” Tuesday morning (video below).

Hegseth was responding to a question about why he thinks Kim Jong-un “agreed” to meet with President Trump. (In reality, Trump was the one who agreed to the meeting – in fact, jumped at it without consulting his top advisors.)

“I think he wants a picture with the American president,” Hegseth told the “Fox & Friends” co-hosts. “The sanctions are having massive effect there,” he also added.

“And then I think there’s probably a point at which the guy who wants to meet with Dennis Rodman and loves NBA basketball and loves Western pop culture,” Hegseth said of the North Korean murderous tyrant, “probably doesn’t love being the guy that has to murder his people all day long.”

To be clear, Fox News’ Pete Hegseth, a man who occasionally advises the president, just said Kim Jong-un “has to” murder his own citizens.

A South Korean report noted that from 2011 to 2016 Kim Jong-un executed more than 340 of his citizens. And update offers names and/or positions and reasons for execution of government officials Kim executed. The overall numbers no doubt are far higher.

Watch:

Fox host and Trump adviser Pet Hegseth on Kim Jong Un: "The guy who wants to meet with Dennis Rodman and loves NBA basketball and loves western pop culture, probably doesn't love being the guy that has to murder his people all day long. Probably wants normalization." pic.twitter.com/YQAcY1BXh7

— John Whitehouse (@existentialfish) May 23, 2018

Some responses via Twitter:

Nothing to see here, just Fox News normalizing Kim Jong Un https://t.co/gMY01v4L4a

— Emily C. Singer (@CahnEmily) May 23, 2018

FFS.
Fox and Friends is now murdersplaining Kim Jong Un. https://t.co/tKpoyG9yez

— ♨️Saucy Stacey♨️ (@DrSCubed) May 23, 2018

Kim Jong Un is tired of “having to murder” people and would rather just have fun, American style… This is Fox. This is where where POTUS is getting foreign policy guidance. https://t.co/XYFHy0C9QW

— Karen Babatjie (@babatjienomore) May 23, 2018

“Why do North Koreans make Kim kill them so much!?!? He loves basketball after all….” @PeteHegseth https://t.co/loo8Y2QWc3

— Edmond Guidry 🇺🇸 (@edmondguidry) May 23, 2018

Yeah he doesn’t have to murder anyone. He chooses to do that because he is an evil man. This normalization of Un so the president can get a politician victory is sickening https://t.co/FGYtTX7fmF

— Joe Winn (@Joe_Will_Winn) May 23, 2018

dude executes his people with anti-aircraft cannons but you be you teamMAGA https://t.co/2KMstV1sPD

— kevin (@KevINthe406) May 23, 2018

I will never get over how this kind of “if we can make the world safer” talk is coming from the exact same people who screamed at obama for being Neville chamberlain because he would say you don’t make peace with your friends re: Iran deal https://t.co/malamBvWXO

— Asawin Suebsaeng (@swin24) May 23, 2018

My god is that a morally reprehensible thing to say about one of the most evil human beings on the planet. What other hot takes is he preparing this morning? “You know, Hitler was just misunderstood.” https://t.co/MpB2Qc162r

— chrisberez (@chrisberez) May 23, 2018

When news broke in open court that Sean Hannity was the secret third client  of President Donald Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen, many raised concerns over his ethics because he had not disclosed the professional relationship.

Hannity responded by claiming he had a right to privacy. But even Trump-defending frequent Fox News guest Alan Dershowitz scolded Hannity on his own show for the infraction.

Now, as The Guardian has uncovered, Sean Hannity is the owner of almost 900 homes worth $90 million. These were all purchased through shell corporations that hid his empire. And they were financed through the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. Many are in low-income neighborhoods, prompting epode on social media to call Hannity a “slumlord.”

The popular far right wing Fox News host has never mentioned any of these financial dealings on-air, despite interviewing HUD Secretary Ben Carson, nor when he’s covered stories about HUD.

The journalistic ethics issues are troubling, and Fox News has to know this.

Perhaps that’s why Fox News is now acting as Hannity’s PR agent.

Fox News Media Relations Senior Manager sent NCRM an email in response to an article we published on the Hannity housing fiasco. She asks us to amend the piece with Hannity’s statement “in full.” While we’re under no obligation to, and will not, we will offer readers the statement, as sent via Fox News:

It is ironic that I am being attacked for investing my personal money in communities that badly need such investment and in which, I am sure, those attacking me have not invested their money. The fact is, these are investments that I do not individually select, control, or know the details about; except that obviously I believe in putting my money to work in communities that otherwise struggle to receive such support.

I have never discussed with anybody at HUD the original loans that were obtained in the Obama years, nor the subsequent refinance of such loans, as they are a private matter. I had no role in, or responsibility for, any HUD involvement in any of these investments. I can say that every rigorous process and strict standard of improvement requirements were followed; all were met, fulfilled and inspected.

The LLC’s are REAL companies that spend real investment money on real properties.

Insisting the details are “a private matter,” Hannity would like you to believe he is a hero concerned about low-income Americans.

We’ll let his reputation speak for itself.

Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr and a CC license