Fox News and Republicans try to shift attention to crime as midterms loom

Rightwing leaders push soft on crime' narrative to propel Republicans this fall, as most voters focus on abortion rights

With most US voters indicating that the preservation of abortion rights is their chief focus as midterm elections loom, the face of Fox News and Republican politicians appear to be trying to shift attention to crime, a progressive media watchdog has warned.

As Democrats seek to maintain razor-thin advantages in both congressional chambers, an analysis from Media Matters for America notes that on 19 August, the highest-rated Fox News host, Tucker Carlson, implored every Republican candidate in the United States" to pitch themselves as favoring law and order and equality under the law".