Steve Schmidt calls for 'venomous and dangerous' Rupert Murdoch to be stripped of US citizenship

[BigBearJohn]

Lincoln Project co-founder and former GOP strategist Steve Schmidt wants the United States to strip Rupert Murdoch of his U.S. citizenship, calling the 91-year-old Australian-born media titan "the most venomous and dangerous foreigner to ever arrive on American soil."

Murdoch is the man behind News Corp, a massive multi-national conglomerate that in the U.S. owns Fox News, The New York Post, the Wall Street Journal, book publisher HarperCollins, and even realtor.com

"The January 6 Committee will prove a massive conspiracy," Schmidt tweeted Tuesday night. "That conspiracy will likely involve @foxnews hosts and personalities. @rupertmurdoch is responsible for what happens on @foxnews, which has long claimed in Federal Court that is not news but entertainment."

Taking a dig at Murdoch and the birther movement which Fox News amplified, Schmidt says Murdoch "is not a Birthright Citizen like @BarackObama. He is a Naturalized Citizen. Though it happens rarely, there is a Denaturalization process that can lead to revocation of US Citizenship and removal from the country."

SOURCE: https://www.rawstory.com/steve-schmidt-calls-for-venomous-and-dangerous-rupert-murdoch-to-be-stripped-of-us-citizenship/

[TheRealNorth]

1. I wonder if Rupert votes in both Australian and U.S. elections as well...

[onenote]

33. He renounced his Australian citizenship when he became a US citizen

[Escurumbele]

43. That is a USA formality, if Australia still accepts him as an Australian and is OK with dual

citizenship then he can vote in Australia and enjoy Australian benefits.

[geardaddy]

91. I read that Australia requires their citizens to renounce citizenship

if accepting other citizenship

[BSdetect]

46. It is really difficult to vote in Australia now if you live overseas.

I guess he has the people to keep his voting there valid.

[pink]

103. I dont know if he votes in Australia but

he has a massive interest in the outcome of our elections. He owns most of the print media, as well as Sky. He always supports the right wing and gives them positive coverage.

Dont be confused about the names of our parties. The Liberal Party is right wing and the Labor Party is left wing. We just had an election and against all the odds of Rupert having his say with every headline, Labor won the election. I would love it if you could deport him. Send him to Russia where he can spend his final days shivering.

[roamer65]

2. I agree with Steve.

💯 percent.

[jimfields33]

47. Can you imagine who will be next to lose citizenship?

Republicans will go after every democratic American citizen who immigrated here. I don’t think this is a good idea.

[Hekate]

58. It's both amusing & frustrating that Dems always hold themselves back by imagining Repub's...

… revenge. I seem to remember that as one reason Nixon was not impeached.

My point is: Republicans never seem to have those considerations. They just get about their business, which is consolidating power.

[calimary]

93. THIS.

This is absolutely right. The GOP never seems to bother with concerns about overreaching. They just go ahead and do it, and damn the torpedoes.

And let us step back and consider everything they’ve accomplished by not pulling their punches. They’ve gone for broke and the result is: they’ve pulled the whole country farther toward the extreme right.

And they think they’ve got us figured out. We back off and try to be reasonable. They don’t bother with such considerations, and press ahead anyway.

Perhaps we should take a page or two from that? They think they have our behavior down and our responses completely predictable (cuz we always “play nice”). And seems to me they’re pretty much spot on. Maybe it’s time to consider throwing them for a loop and NOT responding so predictably?

Just trying to kick some ideas around. To confuse and confound the enemy and knock them off their game.

[newdayneeded]

94. Yep!

They go low, we go high......or something

[soldierant]

75. I've only read about one case of stripping the citizenship of a naturalized citixen,

and I'm telling the story from memory, but trying to stick to what I remember as being factual. My memory isn't bad bur it'snot perfect by any peans.

Dude was a former Nazi (I think an official of some kind) who had lied about his past to obtain US citizenship, and IIRC te lying was the cause of his being stripped of it. We (speaking as the US gevenment) wanted to deport him but Germany would not accept him and there was no other country available. Also IIRC, the story became public (again?) when he died, so it's not a present issue.

But if I do remember correctly, the story would suggest that ordinary crimes cimmitted by natiralized citizen are addressed by the American criminal justice system ... although I suppose sedit oin and treason might also lead there - or sedition anyway - we hang traitors, I think.

[TheBlackAdder]

3. He only became a US Citizen because US Code requires TV Media Owners to be US Citizens.

.

This was especially true during the time when Murdock was acquiring FOX News.

.

[Raster]

14. AND the path to US citizenship was cleared by the Raygun* administration...

...who also eliminated THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE, which meant Murdock's broadcast empire did NOT have to provide equal space for opposing opinions.

Fox News was envisioned in the aftermath of Watergate. The GOP* high command postulated that if the pesky media had not interfered, Nixon would have gotten away with it, and the GOP*s fortunes would have taken a better turn.

And for the life of me, I do not understand how AUSTRALIA does not string him up... The Murdock empire have been some of the biggest climate change deniers in Australia.

[OMGWTF]

25. Fux is banned in Australia and NZ because it's a recognized propaganda network.

[AllaN01Bear]

28. and in canada .

[onenote]

31. Utterly untrue.

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2014/jul/14/facebook-posts/fox-news-banned-canada/

[NotTodayPutin]

29. They can do that?

How do we accomplish that here?

It's no wonder the Aussies and Kiwis have effective political leaders and functional society. They're able to ban propaganda BS.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

30. Nope...

This has been debunked many times... https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/fox-news-banned-australia-new-zealand/

[onenote]

36. What obstacles had to be cleared for Murdoch to become a US Citizen?

I see this all the time, but I don't know what special help Murdoch needed to become a citizen. He had been a resident of the US for ten+ years when he applied for citizenship in 1985.

[2Gingersnaps]

54. He had to suck up to Ronald Reagan, so hardly any obstacle at all really.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/aug/24/rupertmurdoch.business

[onenote]

60. Nothing in that about needing Reagan's help to get citizenship.

I'm a communications attorney and I followed Murdoch's entry into the US television market pretty closely. In May 1985, he struck a deal to buy stations from Metromedia. He filed an application with the FCC for approval of that transaction in June, expressly committing to obtain US Citizenship before closing the deal. He got his citizenship in September and the FCC approved the sale in November. None of those timelines were unusual for that period of time.

Not defending Fox News or Murdoch, who I would love to see disappear. Just reciting the facts surrounding his citizenship and purchase of broadcast stations.

[drmeow]

62. When did he move to the US?

My sisters husband could not become a citizen until (I believe) 10 years after their marriage. My understanding with Murdock was that the time from residency (green card) to citizenship was fast tracked to allow him to buy the stations. Also, Congress approved it (Reagan was President).

[onenote]

63. According to this article he moved to the US in 1974

and had a green card for more than 10 years when he applied for citizenship.

https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/04/business/for-tv-deal-murdoch-will-seek-citizenship.html

I don't recall and can't find anything online suggesting that Congress took any action (or needed to) to facilitate Murdoch becoming a citizen. The House was firmly in Democratic control in 1985.

[wnylib]

77. As far as I know, legal residents of the US

can apply for citizenship after 5 years of living here.

[drmeow]

78. You're right

I was mistaken about my BIL

[2Gingersnaps]

95. New York Times did an article too, but it is behind a paywall.

https://johnmenadue.com/how-reagan-and-us-agencies-made-murdoch-a-king/

[thesquanderer]

50. re:"eliminated THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE...Murdock's broadcast empire did NOT have to provide equal"

Fairness doctrine never applied to cable anyway. Only over the air broadcasts, i.e. the things that required licenses from the FCC. It would have applied to Fox-owned OTA stations, but they weren't the problem anyway. Fox News wouldn't have been covered by it regardless.

[2Gingersnaps]

96. Check out this article, see some familiar names there?

https://johnmenadue.com/how-reagan-and-us-agencies-made-murdoch-a-king/

New York Times did an article, but it is behind a paywall.

[thesquanderer]

97. Good piece! Do you happen to have a link to the NYT article as well? thanks (n/t)

[2Gingersnaps]

102. Sure do! Remember when Hillary was roundly ridiculed for that "vast right wing conspiracy,"

Yeah, Richard Mellon Scaife was one of the financers of that (from that other article). Again, Hillary was right then, as much as she was about "basket of deplorables."

Here is the New Times piece;

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/03/magazine/rupert-murdoch-fox-news-trump.html?mtrref=www.google.com&gwh=2967C2606517103FD09A4CC6EDD4C0D8&gwt=

[onenote]

99. The Reagan administration didn't have to do anything to "clear" Murdoch's citizenship

See post #60.

[onenote]

34. US law did not require Murdoch to be a citizen to start Fox News.

He needed US citizenship to own broadcast stations and a broadcast network.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. That's a remarkable assertion & yes terrorism calls for strong measures

The State must defend itself, and while DOJ is working extremely hard I am sure, we need to apply all the laws on the books and some of them in unique ways. I would argue we are at war. Governments have large powers, discretion, and responsibility while at war. But we need to declare it, notice it. Terrorism is a war on the country.

[Lonestarblue]

5. I think it's Lachlan Murdoch who now runs Fox News, and he was born in London.

He needs to be expelled as well.

[Justice matters.]

21. Yes, and he has a summer condo... in Australia, where he flies to...

with his wife and kids whenever the heat of his wrongdoings boils up too high...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lachlan_Murdoch

[RayStar]

88. Both

Father and son to go.

[Mr. Sparkle]

6. Everywhere he goes he spreads poison trying to accumulate money and power

One of the worst human beings ever to walk the Earth.

[samsingh]

7. yes!

[dlk]

8. If we value our country and the future of our democracy

We can no longer ignore the massive damage that continues to be inflicted upon us all by Rupert Murdoch. He is the most dangerous man in the world.

[Initech]

79. Yup, Fox News stole 3 elections, the Supreme Court, Congress, and Florida from us.

Plus they've put half the country against the other half. Plus given us the most foul, vile, rotten and worthless excuse of a POS leader in American history. Fox is the biggest threat to American stability.

[dlk]

84. Yes, and Rupert is behind it all

Send him packing.

[sop]

9. Murdoch is taking full advantage of our 1st Amendment freedoms to destroy America.

His propaganda and disinformation organization has done more to create division and foment violence in this country than any other international terrorist group. The man must be stopped.

[SergeStorms]

13. To destroy democracy, at any rate.

I don't think he intends to destroy the entire country, but he'd rather have a fascist theocracy replace democracy, at the very least.

[MissMillie]

10. I think it would at least help if there were some "truth" in advertising

remove the word "News" from anything they produce.

[KS Toronado]

11. Murdoch has been successful with his divide and conquer plan

Just like Putler, they are attempting to destroy America without firing a shot,
Murdock with brainwashing, Putler with bought & paid for politicians.

[Botany]

17. They have been working together for years and Trump is their pawn

The former Mrs. Rupert Murdoch and then the girl friend of Vlad Putin w/Ivanka Trump in Europe in the late
summer/early fall of 2016 and right before what the Steele Dossier's report of a meeting in Prague with Trump's
attorney (Cohen) and Russian agents to discuss Russian help in the 2016 elections.

Russia is way deep into right wing America's GOP and Fox.

[KS Toronado]

22. WOW, I did not know this.......

Now if MSM would just start tie-ing the 2 together and reporting on it. Putler is awfully unpopular in this
country right now, timing is right. I'm sure MSM would love to get rid of a competitor.

[C Moon]

68. In that last photo, they almost look like they are going to puke.

[bringthePaine]

12. long overdue, but welcome ASAP

[happy feet]

15. Wish I could rec a million times

While it should be is unlikely to happen given we haven't yet held Trump accountable for anything.

[Raster]

16. Stripping Murdock of his US citizenship is well and good...

...I want the fucker to DIE, and do so painfully.

If there is one person that is most responsible for the TOXIC political climate in the United States, it is Rupert "Satan" Murdock.

Hate that fuck.

Show me a grave... I need to piss and dance!

[world wide wally]

18. If he actually lives in the US, I would add in deportation.

Give me a hard working Mexican anyday.

[Justice matters.]

19. I would not be surprised if he lived on a billionaire's yacht...

Just like all Russian oligarchs...

(Speculation)

[pandr32]

32. He just bought a sprawling $200,000,000 ranch in Montana

Jerry Hall is his wife now--makes me want to barf.

[MontanaMama]

72. I buy grass fed beef from the little ranch west of

Murdoch’s ranch. Locals think he’s a POS…and he is.

[pandr32]

92. Good to hear!

[vlyons]

20. not going to happen

even if some agency or court were to do it, he would appeal all the way to SCOTUS, and then game over. This SCOTUS would rule in his favor.

A much better way is to attack his money. Don't watch Fox News, and don't buy product advertised there. Write to the advertisers and way why you won't buy their products.

Here's the biggest advertisers on Fox News
https://dropfox.com/advertisers/

[Justice matters.]

26. There must be some clause in the infamous patriot act against publicly inciting terrorists...

... foreign AND domestic.

I hate that bill but IF there's something which could be used to stop the fascist propaganda...

[OMGWTF]

27. Ask your cable company to unbundle Fux from your package.

[vlyons]

41. yes another good strategy

nt

[onenote]

51. Not going to happen.

Your cable company almost certainly is under a contractual obligation to place Fox News on a highly penetrated tier of service (either the basic tier or the next level up).

[hay rick]

23. This is not a practical proposal but it may be a good way to start a long overdue discussion.

A major problem of our democracy is the unwillingness to call traitors traitors, identify them as enemies of America's democratic society, and treat them as "enemy combatants." Playing nice is a greased path to chaos, decline, and authoritarianism.

[geardaddy]

24. The whole Murdoch family needs have their citizenships stripped

including Wendi Deng.

[True Blue American]

86. Australia barred them.

https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2021/08/01/youtube-suspends-murdoch-owned-sky-news-australia-channel-.html

[geardaddy]

90. Good

[onenote]

101. Australia didn't ban SkyNews. YouTube did. For one week.

Not sure if you read the article you linked.

[Sogo]

35. Murdoch was 47 when the "White Australia" policy was finally outlawed in Australia.

His obvious White Supremacist tendency was no doubt formed in his early life and continues with him to this day.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216702755

[moondust]

45. Much like Elon

who was raised by wealthy (white) parents in South Africa during apartheid.

[onenote]

37. Which of the legal grounds for denaturalization could be invoked with respect to Murdoch?

Last edited Wed May 18, 2022, 01:01 PM - Edit history (1)

https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-12-part-l-chapter-2

[SWBTATTReg]

38. Better yet, strip him and faux out of their broadcast licenses. There's got to be a morality clause

when the govt sold off/auctioned off these broadcast licenses.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

65. What broadcast does Faux have?

Answer: there is no broadcast license for Faux, they're on cable, no broadcast license, no FCC approval, matter of fact, the FCC is forbidden by law to regulate any content on cable, satellite or the internet.

[onenote]

100. The FCC's "character qualification" policy only allows a license to be revoked if a licensee

has been convicted of a felony -- and even in that instance, its not automatic and depends on the circumstances.

[Kid Berwyn]

39. Toss him out.

He can afford to buy his own ticket.

[Wicked Blue]

40. YES YES YES

Excellent idea.

[Ladythatvotesblue]

42. Rupert Murdoch should be sent back where he came from

and lose his US citizenship. His kid too. He has abused his right to call himself an American. The forfeiture of all his companies should be sold... and the money go to protecting and Voting rights, Women's rights, and to do something to stop climate change and last but not least to help the Black folks in our country that have been at a disadvantage since the beginning of our democracy.
shame on the Murdoch's, shame on the republican party.
Oh, I forgot... that within the republican party they do not know the meaning of SHAME. Greed and Power are their true meaning.
Republicans and the Murdoch's ARE UN AMERICAN. Fox is un american.
Can we lock them up? or send them back?

[LittleGirl]

57. Welcome to DU Ladythatvotesblue!

I like the way you tied that all together!

[maddiemom]

69. Yes. WELCOME LadythatvotesblueI I agree.

[no_hypocrisy]

44. Deport him to his penal colony.

[Joinfortmill]

48. Way over due in my opinion. Throw the MF out!

[BannonsLiver]

49. Throw the pig Elon Musk out too.

Go back to South Africa, fuck face.

[Kablooie]

52. I read that his son, who will take over the business, is even more extremist.

Extremist Propaganda News Corp is not going away any time in the foreseeable future.

[DENVERPOPS]

53. Am I mistaken

or didn't he acquire National Geographic a year or two ago???????????

[BSdetect]

55. Take his assets too?

[rockfordfile]

56. I agree

Long overdue

[BigmanPigman]

59. I've thought of contacting Jerry Hall

over the past 5 years since she is married to that shriveled old sack of shit. Can't someone convince her to to whisper ideas into her ears? If I had access to her I'd try to get her to get to him to do the right thing. She is an American after all.

[Pepsidog]

61. Hmm, just thinking, can a Denaturalization complaint be started by a non-government third party?

[onenote]

66. Denaturalization cases are brought by DOJ

Typically, denaturalization cases are referred to DOJ by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) when they believe there is sufficient evidence to support denaturalization. I suppose a non-government entity could file a "complaint" with the USCIS or otherwise present evidence, but the USCIS would still have to decide whether to refer the case to the DOJ.

The bigger problem is that the grounds upon which someone can be denaturalized are very narrow and the bar for pursuing denaturalization is very high. So notwithstanding the Schmidt's tweet, the possibility of a denaturalization proceeding being commenced against Murdoch, let alone succeeding, is approximately zero.

https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-12-part-l-chapter-2

[Pepsidog]

71. Thank you for the very informative answer. I know very little about immigration law and would never

once naturalized you could be denaturalized. It makes sense that there is a process to denaturalize those people who make false statements to gain entry and/or citizenship by fraud. I can think of at least one, maybe two, people who probably lied, and they were both married to TFG.

[Blue Owl]

64. K&R

[Jilly_in_VA]

67. Start with Roo

Add Seb Gorka to the list.
And Dinesh D'Shushu* (*shushu is east Tennessee baby talk for poop and it fits him so well).

I'm sure others will occur to me shortly.

[colsohlibgal]

70. The Damage Murdoch Has Caused Is Considerable

And Ronald Reagan lit the fuse when he did away with the long standing Fairness Doctrine. That allowed Faux News and other right wing talkers to spew far right talk night and day. Over decades since they have changed the brains of its loyal listeners lapping the talk up. You can draw a straight line from that to the January 6 2021 storming the US Capital Insurrection.

Then there is the inequities in our Political System, all favoring Republicans, from the Electoral College to the composition of the Senate.....where sparsely populated States like Montana, Idaho, etc, get the same two Senators as States heavily populated like New York, California, etc.

And now our Democracy, our way of life, is threatened big time.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

81. The FD only applied to over the air broadcasting

and not cable, satellite or the internet and has been explained here on DU by onenote many, many times, who is a communications expert, the FD wasn't what most people think it was.

The FCC is forbidden by law to regulate content on any venue except over the air broadcasts, which are public airways, you don't even need a license to operate on the aforementioned venues.

[lpbk2713]

82. No license required is true.

Many college campuses have low power FM transmitters operated by students.

[whathehell]

73. ..Works for me.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

74. This is a great idea

[yobrault1]

76. YES! Go full scorched earth

and seize all his American assets sell them off for parts and use the money to repair all the damage done to America and to American democracy. They keep squealing that the Libs are coming for everything, give them something to squeal about.

[Faux pas]

80. Kickin'

[Ohio Joe]

83. He can be... The 1/6 committee should take full advantage...

As I was reading the thread, I thought to myself... Is that even a thing? Can naturalized citizens have theri citizenship revoked?

And yes... It is indeed a thing... Who knew? And this is where it gets interesting... Such a person has no choice but to obey a subpoena from Congress, heh... Or he loses his citizenship... Heh, it's true:

REFUSING TO TESTIFY BEFORE A CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE

If you stand accused of being involved in subversive acts, particularly those intended to overthrow the government or harm United States officials, you are obligated to testify before Congress. Refusal is not an option since the Congressional committee’s job is to investigate your alleged involvement in those acts of subversion.

Keep in mind that this requirement only applies to naturalized citizens who’ve had their citizenship status for less than 10 years.

https://laws101.com/can-naturalized-citizen-deported/

The 1/6 committee should add one new day to the public hearing schedule right now. Subpoena Murdoch for that day to answer for his and his companies role in the 1/6 insurrection. They can have a full day of asking the sitbag anything they want and he has to show... He has to sit there and take the 5th time after time, all day on live TV. Drive the fucking point home.

That's what I'd do.

[onenote]

98. Your own post establishes that he can't be deported

Refusing to testify before a Congressional Committee only is a basis for denaturalization with respect to naturalized citizens who have had their citizenship status for less than ten years. It's right there in your post.

Murdoch became a naturalized citizen in 1985 --- 37 years ago.

[Aussie105]

85. Australia made life difficult for Rupert.

So he jumped ship to America.

And you stupid people let him in? Made him an American?

Background checks. Whatever happened to those? Oh yeah, a suitcase full of money helped there.

You are stuck with his bile and hatred of all humanity, please don't send him back!

There is now no broom big enough to clean up after the mess Murdoch has made in America.
Bad luck, brought it on yourselves.
Should have seen this coming.

[True Blue American]

87. So right!

https://money.cnn.com/2017/08/29/media/fox-news-uk-fox-sky-rupert-murdoch/index.html

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-murdoch/uk-lawmakers-rupert-murdoch-unfit-to-run-company-idUSBRE8400IO20120501

[The Wizard]

89. seize his assets.