With the left’s new focus on “fake news,” MSNBC appeared to join the fray — but maybe not in the best way possible — as one host went on air to accuse Fox News of holding a Christmas Party at Trump’s newly opened Washington D.C. hotel.

MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle hit the air just after 9:30 a.m. on December 9 to breathlessly inform viewers of the terrible Fox faux pas.

“I mean, think about the hotel in Washington right now. The RNC is having their Christmas party there. Fox News had their Christmas party there. That doesn’t feel a little hanky?” Rhule asked in a discussion with former Martin O’Malley aide Lis Smith and GOP strategist Brad Todd, Newsbusters reported.

Ruhle was apparently hoping to smear Trump and Fox as being in a far too cozy relationship, but there was one problem with her accusation: it was untrue, fake news. It turned out Mediaite discovered that neither Fox News nor any of its affiliates have had any Christmas parties so far this year.

Later in the day Rhule admitted that she had the whole story wrong and apologized to viewers for her earlier claim.

“Oh, you know, what?” Rhule said later that day, “This is some serious business that I need to share. I need to apologize to the audience. Earlier today in a segment, I stated that the Fox network held their holiday party at Trump’s D.C. hotel. I was wrong. We’ve since learned that neither Fox network nor an affiliate held any party at Trump’s Washington hotel. I stand corrected. I apologize for the error. I am truly, truly sorry. The mistake was entirely my fault.”

Rhule went even further in graciously allowing that Fox employees could hold their Christmas parties whereever they want. “And of course, I wish all my friends over at Fox a very happy holiday no matter where you have your party,” she said.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.