Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Laura Ingraham

Public opinion and media debates around Laura Ingraham—discover key moments of controversy.

Laura Ingraham is an American conservative television host, currently hosting The Ingraham Angle on Fox News Channel since 2017. She is also the editor-in-chief of LifeZette. Prior to her television career, Ingraham hosted the nationally syndicated radio show, The Laura Ingraham Show. She is a prominent voice in conservative media.

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Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

1984: Controversial Articles in The Dartmouth Review

In 1984, during her senior year at Dartmouth College as editor-in-chief of The Dartmouth Review, Laura Ingraham wrote several controversial articles, including publishing a transcript of a Gay Students Association meeting and naming attendees.

2003: Advocated for the Iraq Invasion

In 2003, Laura Ingraham publicly advocated for the invasion of Iraq.

2013: Opposed Bipartisan Immigration Reform Plan

In 2013, Laura Ingraham opposed the proposed bipartisan US Senate comprehensive immigration reform plan, expressing her anti-immigration views.

September 2014: Claimed Obama Sent Assistance to Africa Due to Colonialism Guilt

In September 2014, Laura Ingraham claimed that then-president Barack Obama sent assistance to Africa during the 2014 Ebola outbreak and exposed Americans to the virus because of his guilt over "colonialism".

2014: Criticized Immigration Policies

In 2014, Laura Ingraham criticized immigration policies. She said that allowing more immigrant workers to come to the United States would be "obscene to the American experience" and denounced Eric Cantor for supporting the DREAM Act.

2016: Criticism of "Bushism" and Iraq War Stance

During the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries, Laura Ingraham stated that she considered the Iraq war a mistake. She also criticized "Bushism" as Donald Trump ran against Jeb Bush.

September 2017: Criticized Trump on DREAMers Amnesty

In September 2017, Laura Ingraham criticized then-president Trump on Twitter amid reports that he was considering an agreement with Democrats on amnesty for approximately 800,000 DREAMers.

February 2018: "Shut Up and Dribble" Controversy

In February 2018, Laura Ingraham told NBA players LeBron James and Kevin Durant to "shut up and dribble" after James criticized Trump. She defended her statement by citing her 2003 book and other instances where she had said performers should "shut up" about politics.

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February 2018: Warning to Trump on Gun Control

In February 2018, Laura Ingraham warned Donald Trump against supporting gun control following comments he made after the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.

March 2018: Advertiser Boycott After David Hogg Ridicule

In March 2018, Laura Ingraham's show faced a boycott from 27 sponsors after she ridiculed David Hogg, a survivor of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. In response, Hogg called for a boycott of Ingraham's advertisers.

June 18, 2018: Compared Children's Facilities to Summer Camps

On June 18, 2018, Laura Ingraham defended the Trump administration's "zero-tolerance" family separation policy, comparing the children's facilities to "summer camps" that "resemble boarding schools". School shooting survivor David Hogg called for a boycott of The Ingraham Angle.

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July 2018: Criticized Kevin Yoder on Asylum Policy

In July 2018, Laura Ingraham criticized Republican congressman Kevin Yoder for supporting a Democratic bill that rolled back Attorney General Jeff Sessions' order on asylum seekers, calling on him "to stop selling out the Trump agenda".

August 9, 2018: Defense of Demographic Comments

On August 9, 2018, in her Ingraham Angle monologue, Laura Ingraham stated she was not talking about "race or ethnicity" and that "American citizenship is a privilege... that requires respect for the rule of law and loyalty to our constitution".

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August 2018: Objected to Changing Racial Demographics

In August 2018, Laura Ingraham stated that "some parts of the country it does seem like the America we know and love doesn't exist anymore" due to massive demographic changes, implying a negative view of these changes.

October 2018: Companies Continuing to Shun Ingraham's Show

As of October 2018, companies were continuing to shun Laura Ingraham's show despite increased ratings following an advertiser boycott earlier in the year.

October 2018: Urged Audience to Vote Republican

In October 2018, Laura Ingraham urged her audience to vote Republican in the upcoming midterm elections, claiming Democrats "want to replace you, the American voters, with newly amnestied citizens and an ever-increasing number of chain migrants."

May 2019: Graphic of Censored Voices on Social Media

In May 2019, Laura Ingraham showed a graphic on her show of "prominent voices censored on social media", which included individuals known for controversial views, such as Paul Nehlen, who had been banned from Twitter for anti-Semitic remarks.

June 2019: Dismissal of D-Day Interview Delay Reports

In June 2019, Laura Ingraham dismissed reports that Donald Trump delayed his participation in D-Day commemoration activities to conduct an interview with her as "patently false—fake news," despite video evidence suggesting otherwise.

June 2019: Spread Unsubstantiated Claims About Asylum Seekers

In June 2019, Laura Ingraham spread unsubstantiated claims that asylum seekers to the United States may carry the Ebola virus, stirring controversy.

August 2019: Condemnation of China's Human Rights Violations

In August 2019, Laura Ingraham condemned China's "brutal violation of basic human rights" and specifically called out China's Xinjiang internment camps for Muslim ethnic minority groups.

May 2020: Criticism of Face Mask Requirements

In May 2020, Laura Ingraham criticized the requirements for people to wear face masks in public as a means to halt the spread of the coronavirus.

June 15, 2020: FDA Revoked Emergency Approval of Hydroxychloroquine

On June 15, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revoked the Emergency Approval of hydroxychloroquine (and chloroquine) for treating COVID-19, stating potential benefits did not outweigh the risks.

October 2020: Misinformation About New Zealand's Pandemic Response

In October 2020, Laura Ingraham and her guest Victor Davis Hanson spread misinformation about New Zealand's response to the pandemic, referring to managed isolation facilities as "camps" when they are actually hotels.

2020: Drew Brees Controversy

In 2020, Laura Ingraham was criticized for supporting Drew Brees, a white athlete, when he criticized protesters who kneeled during the U.S. national anthem, a stance seen as inconsistent with her earlier comments to African-American athletes.

January 6, 2021: Promotion of Antifa Conspiracy Theory and Text to Meadows

Following the attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, Laura Ingraham promoted the conspiracy theory that antifa was responsible. She also texted Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, urging Trump to tell people in the Capitol to go home, stating it was hurting everyone and destroying his legacy.

July 27, 2021: Ridicule of Capitol Police and D.C. Police

On July 27, 2021, Laura Ingraham ridiculed four members of the Capitol Police and D.C. Police who had testified before House lawmakers regarding the January 6th insurrection.

2021: Suggested End to Unemployment Benefits

In 2021, Laura Ingraham suggested eliminating unemployment benefits for individuals capable of working.

September 2022: Criticism of Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness Program

In September 2022, Laura Ingraham criticized the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness program, mentioning that her mother worked as a waitress until the age of 73 to pay for Ingraham's loans, leading to criticism about why Ingraham allowed her mother to work so late in life when she held high-paying positions.

2022: Report on William and Zachary Zulock Case

In 2022, Laura Ingraham aired an extensive report about the case of William and Zachary Zulock, two gay men from Georgia convicted of abusing their adoptive children. She referred to them as "LGBTQ+ activists" and interviewed a reporter who falsely stated the case's problem was that an adoption agency assisted a same-sex couple.

2022: Criticism of FBI's Mar-a-Lago Search

In 2022, Laura Ingraham criticized the Justice Department and FBI for the search of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence regarding his handling of classified information.

2024: Suggested Republican Voters Could "Turn the Page" on Trump

In 2022, Laura Ingraham suggested that Republican voters might "turn the page" and support another candidate in 2024 "if we can get someone who has all Trump's policies, who's not Trump".