In a striking departure from the mainstream narrative, Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner commended former President Donald Trump on Monday for his conduct during the opening day of his hush money trial, portraying him as a bastion of respect for the judicial system.

Faulkner’s remarks followed Trump’s fiery comments outside a Manhattan courthouse, where he denounced the trial as an “assault on America” and decried what he called a “political prosecution.”

“And that’s why I’m very proud to be here,” Trump asserted to reporters. “This is an assault on our country. And it’s a country that’s failing.”

Facing 34 criminal counts related to alleged falsification of business records to conceal a payment to Stormy Daniels, Trump also faces potential sanctions for violating court orders, including a gag order, through social media posts.

Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy sought sanctions against Trump for his posts, requesting a fine of “$1,000 for each post that violates the court order” and insisting that further violations could result in jail time, noting that a post was possibly made from within the courthouse.

Despite Trump’s public criticisms and calls for the judge’s recusal, Faulkner and other conservative voices at the cable news outlet argued that the former president had demonstrated respect for the court.

“One bottom line for Donald Trump today is that this is the weakest of the cases. No matter how he goes forward, it is rather uphill,” Faulkner stated during the midday panel show Outnumbered, highlighting Trump’s remarks outside the courthouse. “I liked what he said earlier. I like when any defendant talks this way. ‘It is my honor. It’s a pleasure to be here.’ Respecting the court,” she added.

Referring to her co-host Emily Compagno, Faulkner underscored the significance of showing respect in challenging circumstances, with Compagno concurring, “Right! And that he consistently does.”

Later in the segment, Hudson Institute senior fellow Rebecca Heinrichs referenced conservative pundit Rich Lowry’s analysis to argue that it is the prosecution, not Trump, that is undermining legal norms.

“Donald Trump has regularly been accused as this president who is norm-breaking,” Heinrichs asserted. “But here we have him, to Harris’ point, respecting the court, walking in, respecting what the court is going to do, respecting the institution while you have the prosecutor doing all of the norm-breaking. Quite the contrast!”