Democratic contenders bash Fox News on Fox News

Julian Castro is the latest Democratic presidential contender to follow the trend of criticizing Fox News Channel while appearing on the network for a town hall.

The former Housing secretary's scolding of Fox on Thursday for its coverage of Hillary Clinton was mild compared to recent attacks by Pete Buttigieg and Kirsten Gillibrand. But it drew an answer from moderator Bret Baier.

The exchange illustrated the strong feelings Fox generates among many Democrats for its commentators' support of President Donald Trump, and the pressures faced by candidates who choose to engage with the network. The Democratic National Committee has said it won't sponsor a debate on Fox, and Elizabeth Warren has refused an invitation to appear there. She called Fox News a "hate-for-profit racket."

Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro, right, answers a question during a FOX News Channel town hall event, Thursday, June 13, 2019, in Tempe, Ariz. Fox News anchors Bret Baier, left, and Martha MacCallum, second from left, listen to Castro's answer. (AP PhotoRoss D. Franklin)

Despite that, five candidates — including Bernie Sanders and Amy Klobuchar — have recognized Fox's reach and accepted invitations. Sanders' April 15 appearance on Fox was seen by 2.55 million people, the largest audience for a town hall or extended interview so far this campaign. That's nearly twice the number of people who watched him on CNN on Feb. 25.

"I certainly understand the reservations many people have about the Fox News organization," Castro told The Associated Press. "At the same time, I'm determined to be a president for everyone, and that means campaigning in front of everyone, including people who don't agree with me."

The topic of Trump's statement to ABC News about potentially accepting foreign help for his 2020 campaign was broached with Castro Thursday when Baier compared Trump's comments to those of a former Clinton campaign spokesman who suggested he'd be interested in spreading around a dossier of information on Trump compiled by a former British intelligence officer. Baier wondered if a double standard was at work.

Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro speaks during a FOX News Channel town hall event, Thursday, June 13, 2019, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP PhotoRoss D. Franklin)

"I don't understand why this network and in so many conservative circles, people are still talking about Hillary Clinton," Castro said. "Hillary Clinton is not on the ballot. Those of us who are running are on the ballot. And I can tell you ... those of us who are running want to focus on the issues that are important to Americans and their families."

Baier noted that there is an active investigation into how information about Trump began circulating.

It didn't quite match the fireworks generated on June 2 when Gillibrand talked about the "red herring" discussion on Fox about infanticide shortly before Trump gave his State of the Union speech, where she was interrupted by moderator Chris Wallace.

Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro speaks to members in the crowd after a FOX News Channel town hall event, Thursday, June 13, 2019, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP PhotoRoss D. Franklin)

"I understand that maybe to make your credentials with Democrats who are not appearing on Fox News, you're going to attack us," Wallace said. "I'm not sure, frankly, that it's very polite. We've invited you to be here."

Responded Gillibrand: "I will do it in a polite way."

Two weeks earlier, Buttigieg noted that many people in his party opposed his appearance on Fox News. He criticized the network's opinion hosts Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham for remarks they had made about immigration in recent months.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand greets FOX News Anchor Chris Wallace, right, as she arrives at a FOX News town hall, Sunday, June 2, 2019, in Dubuque, Iowa. (AP PhotoCharlie Neibergall)

"There is a reason why anybody has to swallow hard and think twice about participating in this media ecosystem," Buttigieg said.

He drew pushback the next day from Fox personalities. Brian Kilmeade of "Fox & Friends" said he shouldn't badmouth the network's hosts. "If you feel that negative about it, don't come."

Fox has no further town halls scheduled presently, as attention turns to the first debate later this month in Miami, to be televised on NBC News. The network had no additional comment on the candidate critiques.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand talks with FOX News Anchor Chris Wallace, right, during a FOX News town hall, Sunday, June 2, 2019, in Dubuque, Iowa. (AP PhotoCharlie Neibergall)

Whether to engage with or ignore Fox is a still-unresolved argument among Democratic candidates. The candidates who choose to engage undoubtedly hope it shows they're willing to go unexpected places to seek votes, Democratic strategist Karen Finney said. Talking tough about the network's practices illustrates they're aware of what the network puts on its air.

"Part of the hope is that it says to viewers that 'I believe you're important and it's important to hear the other side,'" said Finney, a former Democratic National Committee spokeswoman.

The liberal watchdog Media Matters for America has urged Democratic candidates to stay away from Fox, arguing the appearances helped the network at a time it was vulnerable following the Democrats' decision not to hold any of its debate on the network.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand speaks during a FOX News town hall, Sunday, June 2, 2019, in Dubuque, Iowa. (AP PhotoCharlie Neibergall)

"When they go there and criticize the network, they're actually legitimizing the validity of our core critique," said Angelo Carusone, Media Matters president.

If candidates want to reach out to Fox viewers, criticizing the network doesn't help, he said. Neither do the attacks Fox personalities will heap on them after they leave the studio, he said.

Some numbers are hard for candidates to ignore: Klobuchar reached 1.61 million viewers for her Fox town hall and 1.15 million for one of CNN, the Nielsen company said. Gillibrand's audience was 834,000 on Fox and 507,000 on CNN. Buttigieg's audience was slightly larger on CNN — 1.18 million versus 1.11 million on Fox.

Associated Press writer Jonathan Cooper in Phoenix, Arizona contributed to this report.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian court on Friday ordered the detention of the country’s farm minister in the latest high-profile corruption investigation, while Kyiv security officials assessed how they can recover lost battlefield momentum in the war against Russia.

Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court ruled that Agriculture Minister Oleksandr Solskyi should be held in custody for 60 days, but he was released after paying bail of 75 million hryvnias ($1.77 million), a statement said.

Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau suspects Solskyi headed an organized crime group that between 2017 and 2021 unlawfully obtained land worth 291 million hryvnias ($6.85 million) and attempted to obtain other land worth 190 million hryvnias ($4.47 million).

Ukraine is trying to root out corruption that has long dogged the country. A dragnet over the past two years has seen Ukraine’s defense minister, top prosecutor, intelligence chief and other senior officials lose their jobs.

That has caused embarrassment and unease as Ukraine receives tens of billions of dollars in foreign aid to help fight Russia’s army, and the European Union and NATO have demanded widespread anti-graft measures before Kyiv can realize its ambition of joining the blocs.

In Ukraine's capital, doctors and ambulance crews evacuated patients from a children’s hospital on Friday after a video circulated online saying Russia planned to attack it.

Parents hefting bags of clothes, toys and food carried toddlers and led young children from the Kyiv City Children’s Hospital No. 1 on the outskirts of the city. Medics helped them into a fleet of waiting ambulances to be transported to other facilities.

In the video, a security official from Russian ally Belarus alleged that military personnel were based in the hospital. Kyiv city authorities said that the claim was “a lie and provocation.”

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that civic authorities were awaiting an assessment from security services before deciding when it was safe to reopen the hospital.

“We cannot risk the lives of our children,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was due to hold online talks Friday with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which has been the key international organization coordinating the delivery of weapons and other aid to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said late Thursday that the meeting would discuss how to turn around Ukraine’s fortunes on the battlefield. The Kremlin’s forces have gained an edge over Kyiv’s army in recent months as Ukraine grappled with a shortage of ammunition and troops.

Russia, despite sustaining high losses, has been taking control of small settlements as part of its effort to drive deeper into eastern Ukraine after capturing the city of Avdiivka in February, the U.K. defense ministry said Friday.

It’s been slow going for the Kremlin’s troops in eastern Ukraine and is likely to stay that way, according to the Institute for the Study of War. However, the key hilltop town of Chasiv Yar is vulnerable to the Russian onslaught, which is using glide bombs — powerful Soviet-era weapons that were originally unguided but have been retrofitted with a navigational targeting system — that obliterate targets.

“Russian forces do pose a credible threat of seizing Chasiv Yar, although they may not be able to do so rapidly,” the Washington-based think tank said late Thursday.

It added that Russian commanders are likely seeking to advance as much as possible before the arrival in the coming weeks and months of new U.S. military aid, which was held up for six months by political differences in Congress.

While that U.S. help wasn’t forthcoming, Ukraine’s European partners didn’t pick up the slack, according to German’s Kiel Institute for the World Economy, which tracks Ukraine support.

“The European aid in recent months is nowhere near enough to fill the gap left by the lack of U.S. assistance, particularly in the area of ammunition and artillery shells,” it said in a report Thursday.

Ukraine is making a broad effort to take back the initiative in the war after more than two years of fighting. It plans to manufacture more of its own weapons in the future, and is clamping down on young people avoiding conscription, though it will take time to process and train any new recruits.

Jill Lawless contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Ukrainian young acting student Gleb Batonskiy plays piano in a public park in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)