Conservative political commentator Matt Drudge has lashed out at Fox News over a panel on political violence in the US. Critics called him a cherry-picking hypocrite who misrepresented the network’s coverage.

On Monday, Drudge broke his silence on Twitter to criticize Fox News for making light of the political climate in America. He posted screenshots of smiling Fox panelists, whose cheerfulness apparently clashed with the phrase “Questions on how mail-bomb scare, synagogue attack could impact midterm voters eight days from now” below.

“Not even 48 hours since blood flowed at synagogue? Check your soul in the makeup chair!” he wrote.

Is it really funny? pic.twitter.com/nq8xnT2YDe — MATT DRUDGE (@DRUDGE) October 29, 2018

A segment on Fox News this morning where hosts laughed and joked their way through a discussion on political impact of terror was bizarre. Not even 48 hours since blood flowed at synagogue? Check your soul in the makeup chair! — MATT DRUDGE (@DRUDGE) October 29, 2018

Drudge, who runs popular news aggregator the Drudge Report, was referring to the Monday episode of the Fox News program ‘Outnumbered’. The panel was discussing suspected mail-bomber Cesar Sayoc, suspected Tree of Life synagogue shooter Robert Bowers, and the ongoing debate over maintaining civil discourse during times of national tragedies.

Though serious in tone overall, the 40-minute segment had a lighter moment when host Harris Faulkner interrupted Republican strategist Josh Holmes as he was passionately calling for national unity, jokingly asking him: “When are you running?” prompting smiles from the panel.

Fox News rejected the criticism, calling it unfair, and defended panelist Kennedy Montgomery, who was initially singled out by Drudge.

“Kennedy made an unrelated quip at the end of the segment which was focused on unity – there was absolutely no joking or laughing about the events of this weekend and a screen grab of her smiling is hardly indicative of the entire segment,” the Washington Examiner cited a spokesman for the network as saying.

Fox News acknowledged that the lower third section of the screen did clash with the smiles though.

Drudge’s tweets were met with harsh responses, with some accusing him of deception and hypocrisy.

You damn liar.That segment was not about the attacks, it was about politics. The laughter came up naturally in response to the political discussions way after any mentioning of the terrible attack. Put your big boy underroos on Matt. — Comic Dad (@rorymiller77) October 29, 2018

For real? you’ve pushed Breitbart and Infowars dreck for years. You’re one of the vectors for the brain rotting disease that’s resulting in the exact symptoms you’re calling out now. Btw, liberals warned about this, and “smart” conservatives like you didn’t listen. Now, behold. — Mr. Dunn’s Water Logged Corpse (@itmustbedunn) October 29, 2018

out of content Matt, stop the bs. — I'mFromMyMom (@AndrewInAustin) October 29, 2018

Acerbic Vanity Fair pointed out that Drudge and Fox News are in the same political camp and said his outburst was “the conservative-media equivalent of one celebrity unfollowing another on Instagram: a very public statement that something has gone wrong in this friendship.”

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