A Mississippi local television news anchor said he was fired by management after nearly four decades at the station over a social media post urging supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris to “stay home” if they intended to vote for her. to.
David “Dave” Elliott, the veteran news anchor at Biloxi’s WLOX-TV — a CBS and ABC affiliate — recorded a video message that went viral on X Wednesday in which he denounced the “hatred” of former President Donald Trump. Trump as “disease.”
“If your hatred for Donald Trump is so strong … that you’re planning to go to that polling booth and vote for Kamala Harris … do it yourself [and] make the place [and] do the world a favor and sit down,” Elliott said in the video, which has generated more than 163,000 views on X as of Monday.
“Stay at home. Don’t vote,” Elliott urged Harris supporters in the clip. He closed the message by saying: “This was a public service announcement.”
Elliott on Friday told his Facebook followers that he was fired.
“I am no longer on WLOX as of 10-25-24,” Elliott wrote Friday morning. “The corporation doesn’t like my political views.”
Elliott said he was informed of his termination by Rick Williams, the station’s general manager. The post has requested comment from WLOX-TV.
“We are not able to comment on personnel matters,” Williams told The Post.
WLOX-TV, which can be seen along the Mississippi Gulf Coast on Channel 13, is a CBS and ABC television affiliate. Its parent company is Gray Television.
“X was brought up in the conversation, which only lasted about 30 seconds because I walked away,” Elliott told the Sun Herald.
“I was like, ‘OK, see you.’
Elliott said he was planning to leave the station anyway for another job.
“I was going to leave at the end of the year anyway,” he said.
“I have irons in the fire. Things will move at the speed of light. Keep your eyes open.”
Elliott said he did not consider his social media posts a violation of ethical journalism that requires him to maintain objectivity.
“I don’t consider social media journalism,” he said. “Social media is a toy. i have fun i play I look at it as satire.”
“I get paid to do television.”
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