Fox News is breathing life back into a conspiracy theory about federal ammunition purchases — the same conspiracy theory that the network debunked only the week before.

Conspiracy websites have long alleged that large ammunition purchases by the Department of Homeland Security is clear evidence that the U.S. government plans to use it against American citizens.

On a March 26 segment of Fox & Friends, Brian Kilmeade commented on a recent purchase of ammunition by the Department of Homeland Security, to which he incredulously wondered “why they need all those bullets. Can someone answer please? Hello?”

Watch the Fox & Friends segment in the video below.



In regards to the ammunition purchases, the government provided a response to Congress, explaining that the purchases were actually lower than in previous years. In a Fox report the week before the Fox & Friends segment aired, it was stated that the government explanation “may not have calmed conspiracy theorists, but it has calmed some fears on the Hill.”

In a March 22 edition of Special Report, correspondent Douglas McElway reported on the DHS’s revelation that ammunition purchases are lower than in previous years, explaining that while the law allows DHS to purchase billions of rounds as a money-saving measure, the government didn’t even come close to purchasing that many rounds.

Towards the end of the March 22 broadcast, contributor Charles Krauthammer ridiculed the ammo conspiracy theorists for “waiting for the Obama coup d’etat, which apparently is not going to come.” Krauthammer went on to say, “I hate to disappoint the conspiracy theorists, they’re going to have to come up with something new. And they will.”

Interestingly, since so many conspiracy theories have made their way to the talking points of Fox & Friends, it actually once forced a network executive to issue a statement to the staff saying, “‘For the record: seeing an item on a website does not mean it is right. Nor does it mean it is ready for air on FNC.”

Watch the March 22 Special Report segment in the video below.

