Fox & Friends has been criticized as “state-run tv” due to its fawning and remarkably coordinated coverage of the Trump administration. But Friday morning’s segment dedicated to honoring the Pledge of Allegiance feels like something one might see on the North Korean equivalent to cable news morning show (if such a thing actually existed.)

Hard to describe this bizarre segment in a pithy manner, but is easy to imagine future historians pointing to it as the peak (or nadir) of a larger culture war, the winner of which will determine the outcome.

Featuring James Robbins, author of Erasing America, who warned that some schools are no longer compelling students to take the pledge, which is the dystopian future consistent with gold-coin buying viewers of the conservative morning show.

The segment also, naturally, features host Pete Hegseth posing the classic strawman argument that the American Flag “is seen by some as a dividing or divisive symbol,” before adding that he believes “it should unify.” Shocker that Robbins agreed, just before Hegseth turned to the on-set school children that critics might see as props for this ridiculously jingoist virtue signaling of false patriotism.

“Keep loving this country,” Hegseth told the children.

Sunshine soldiers and summer patriots indeed.

Watch the clip above, courtesy of Fox News.

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