Finishing a long journey from Forrest Gump to George Washington, in his last book – The Patriots – Winston Groom told a story about Washington: His last year as president staring at two parties ripping into each other in the 1796 election, each out to elect its own candidate president, Washington warned politicians were sowing ‘malignant divisiveness.’ And there’d be a price to pay.

Pouring gas on a fire newspapers made vicious attacks, inflaming both sides. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who’d been friends years, both running for president became bitter enemies. Adams beat Jefferson. Jefferson ran again four years later, beat Adams. A decade passed, two enemies made peace, died friends on the same day – July 4, 1826.

Look forward at politics today.

In a deposition a lawyer suing Fox News asked its owner Rupert Murdoch: Why did you not want to antagonize Trump? Murdoch’s answer was short, concise: ‘He had a very large following. They were probably most viewers of Fox, so it would have been stupid.’

Lies, truth, right, wrong, fell by the wayside – one fact ruled: Fox viewers supported Trump, it was stupid to cross swords with Trump.

Trump roars, Fox News pours gas on the fire. Democrats roar, MSNBC, CNN pour gas on the fire – and we reap the fruit of the ‘malignant divisiveness’ George Washington warned about.