Fox News anchor Julie Banderas melted down Monday on Twitter after President Trump criticized a couple of Fox reporters over their border coverage.

In a spectacle that has become the norm from preening CNN’s neurotics such as Jim Acosta and Jake Tapper, Banderas made a public fool of herself, getting all screechy and overheated about the president’s criticism.

All Trump said (via Twitter) was, “I think @johnrobertsFox and @GillianHTurner @FoxNews have even less understanding of the Wall negotiations than the folks at FAKE NEWS CNN & NBC!”

Never thought I’d say this but I think @johnrobertsFox and @GillianHTurner @FoxNews have even less understanding of the Wall negotiations than the folks at FAKE NEWS CNN & NBC! Look to final results! Don’t know how my poll numbers are so good, especially up 19% with Hispanics? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 28, 2019

Pretty mild stuff.

Nevertheless, instead of handling the criticism like a mature and rational adult, Banderas decided to light herself on fire in a series of wildly dishonest tweets that accused Trump of — this is not a joke — “putting a target on their backs” and “bullying” and “not presidential. Period” and “That’s not how this country works” and “lashing out”:

@realDonaldTrump This is NOT right. I stand by my colleagues @johnrobertsFox and @GillianHTurner They don’t deserve this. No reporter does. They are doing their jobs and reporting the facts. They are not opinion journalists and deserve the respect from the @WhiteHouse they cover. https://t.co/ftRPauopjC — Julie Banderas (@JulieBanderas) January 28, 2019

We can and do stand plenty of criticism every day which is fine coming from everyday viewers. Our jobs are not meant to please others. But the office of the @POTUS ought not to be the one lashing out. That’s not how this country works. That’s not how Freedom of the Press works. https://t.co/buakHRRwPO — Julie Banderas (@JulieBanderas) January 28, 2019

By going on Twitter and insulting two of our journalists @realDonaldTrump is putting a target on their backs. In turn his followers will then attack @johnrobertsFox and @GillianHTurner in support on Twitter. Bullying journalists is not Presidential. Period. https://t.co/xayShIojYj — Julie Banderas (@JulieBanderas) January 28, 2019

In short, Banderas could not respond to the substance of Trump’s criticism so she decided instead to mislead her Twitter followers with the fabrication of a “dangerous” straw man built with a series of crazed accusations that are, in fact, based on the outrageously un-American belief the president of the United States does not have the Constitutional right to free speech, to free expression, or even the right to publicly defend himself.

And this is just one more indicator pointing to the collapse of Fox News as a legitimate alternative to the establishment media.

On top of allowing Banderas to go full-snowflake, to declare free speech dangerous, to virtue signal at the expense of Trump’s God-given right to defend himself, Fox News is now an outlet that is embracing blacklists against its competition (Drudge, Breitbart, Judicial Watch), allowing bitter conspiracy theorist Judge Napolitano to spread his bitter anti-Trump conspiracy theories, that caved on Trump’s caravan ad, that backed CNN’s lawsuit in defense of Acosta’s right to heckle the president and manhandle female White House staffers, that gives open borders extremist Jorge Ramos a microphone, that smeared Breitbart over our accurate reporting on a Google bombshell, that attempted to derail Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court appointment with what could have only been a well-rehearsed talking point involving the fake news use of the word “credible.”

What the hell is the matter with Fox News?

Does Fox honestly believe it’s appropriate to have one of its anchors argue against the free speech rights of the only person in the country chosen through the democratic process to represent all of the American people?

Does Fox News honestly believe its viewers are going to be okay with a high-profile Fox anchor joining the Jim Acostas and Don Lemons and Brian Stelters and Jake Tappers and Chris Cuomos in their non-stop propaganda campaigns to silence the President. Of. The. United. Freakin’. States?

Think about this… Think about what just happened here… A Fox News anchor is now joining the far-left CNN’s campaign to silence Trump’s criticism of the media, and is doing so using the most dishonest, left-wing tactic there is: conflating criticism of the press with violence and threats.

Now give this one a think… A Fox News anchor just argued that when the only person in the country chosen through the democratic process to speak for all of us speaks, “That’s not how this country works.”

Why is it that narcissism and shameless virtue signaling always seem to the result in the most un-American of ideas?

Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC. Follow his Facebook Page here.