Fox Business Host Celebrates Trump’s Milestone with Dance

On Thursday afternoon, Fox Business host Charles Payne took to the airwaves, dancing to Kool & The Gang’s classic “Celebration” as a tribute to President Donald Trump’s first 200 days in office. The segment, which aired after a commercial break, quickly drew criticism for its perceived resemblance to North Korean state television.

Payne, known for his financial insights, transitioned from dancing to praising Trump’s economic policies, despite a live stock ticker showing a decline in the S&P 500. “Celebration,” he remarked, “has become an international anthem of positivity and joy. Well, 200 days into the second Trump administration, there is a lot to celebrate, and certainly a lot to be optimistic about.”

He highlighted a recent event where Apple CEO Tim Cook presented Trump with a plaque featuring a 24-karat gold base, framing it as a significant achievement. Cook announced an additional $100 billion investment in the U.S., a move interpreted by many as an effort to dissuade Trump from imposing tariffs that could raise costs for foreign manufacturing.

However, Payne omitted mention of the last three job reports, which fell short of expectations and led to the dismissal of the statistician responsible for the figures. He did acknowledge the country’s second-quarter GDP as “strong” and claimed that tariffs have benefitted middle America, yet he ignored the S&P Index’s performance, which closed down 5 points at 6,340.

Critics on social media were quick to respond to Payne’s selective statistics. One user commented, “State TV energy so strong it’s making Pyongyang look subtle,” referencing North Korea’s tightly controlled media environment. Another user humorously altered a MAGA slogan to read, “Make America North Korea.”

The comparison between the Trump administration and North Korea has been a recurring theme, particularly regarding the overly favorable coverage from Fox News and similar outlets. The economic record under Trump remains complex and often debated.

As of January 21, the Dow Jones Industrial Average opened at 43,153 on Trump’s first trading day and closed at 43,968 on Thursday. Meanwhile, the latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that only 73,000 new jobs were created in July, with previous estimates for May and June being significantly downgraded.

While the economy has avoided recession—contrary to some predictions regarding Trump’s tariffs—the first quarter saw a contraction of -0.5%. Analysts view the second quarter’s growth of 3% as unlikely to be sustained moving forward.