Does Rep. Harold Ford Have a Portrait of Mao in his Living Room?

No.

By
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During Rep. Harold Ford’s appearance on Bret Baier’s Fox News show recently, viewers noted a portrait of Mao Zedong in the background. Posts started going viral on social media, with posters saying things like Ford, a Democrat from Tennessee, has “a framed portrait of Mao in his living room” and that he “has a Mao painting in his home.” Rush Limbaugh featured a segment about the incident on his show Friday, with his website stating “Mass Murderer Mao Over Harold Ford’s Mantle”

https://twitter.com/ricky_meyer/status/1349864668517568515

The images of Ford’s appearance don’t tell the full story: Ford was not, in fact, at his home during the interview. Baier noted that Ford “is renting a house in a vacation spot for a few weeks,” which Ford echoed in a tweet of his own. 

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  1. Avatar photo
    Jason Gibson

    Might work in his favor. Had not heard of him and now I have and think he’s pretty cool

    Hats off to Bret baier. Further evidence that he’s a legit anchor

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  2. Avatar photo
    The Stray Goose

    I like Ford. He does excellent analysis for FOX and I saw this live. I was horrified. And GIVE ME A BREAK! Would he rent from somebody who had a portrait of Hitler on the wall??? No. He wouldn't. And if he did, he'd at least take the picture down or cover it. Who the hell wants to see a picture of Mao?!?! The rich left are so tacky. And they mock Thomas Kinkade. Yeah, Kinkade was a drunk asshole, but you know what he didn't do?! MURDER MILLIONS OF PEOPLE!!! Who is the owner? We demand to know. This is all bullshit. Really unacceptable. And Mr. Dent posts think like, "No problems here. Everything's copacetic." Yeah. Big problems here. What bullshit.

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    Gene Bryan

    As a former constituent of Harold Ford, Jr., and a Republican who voted for him, he is a dying breed of centrist, capitalist Democrats.

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    Linda Beggs

    Thanks for checking that. I raised an eyebrow when I saw the picture.

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    Victor Clairmont

    Ok, never heard this one before...

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  6. LucyTrice

    My daughter caught this and we wondered about the story behind it - without assuming he was a Maoist.

    And noticed he now broadcasts from the kitchen.

    The decor of the rest of the room doesn't prepare one for a portrait of Mao, though. There is a story there somewhere.

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    1. Avatar photo
      Mike B

      Speculating, of course, but I wonder if the owner or whoever chose the decor picked up that picture at an auction or something and had no idea who it was - just thought it was the right dimensions to go over the mantle.

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      1. LucyTrice

        I don't know. It looks like a very nice house, the kind with intentional decor. I'm thinking irony.

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          The Stray Goose

          Yeah? I'm thinking 'bullshit'. Oy. This is not acceptable.

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          1. LucyTrice

            For all we know, the house belongs to someone who escaped life under Mao, made good in the US and keeps the portrait - in an elegant room - as a reminder of the evils of communism. The First Amendment includes the right to give meaning to one's own personal symbols.

            Just chill.

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        2. Silence

          It's a well-known Warhol print, so I agree with your thought

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  7. Mary Stine

    Limbaugh will still be claiming Rep. Ford is "worse than a rhino..he's a secret communist" for weeks.

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      The Stray Goose

      My opinion on this topic are not informed by Limbaugh. He should be ignored. After Trump, he's proven that he's of no value.

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  8. Avatar photo
    Carl M

    Worth adding that it appears to be an Andy Warhol screenprint of Mao, which is arguably quite different from a portrait of Mao.

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    1. Avatar photo
      The Stray Goose

      Unless it's a portrait of Mao in a clown suit - a murderous clown suit, I'd say that's unacceptable. Just replace Mao with your least-favorite mass murderer and see if this is still kitschy chic.

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About Alec Dent

Alec Dent is the culture editor and a staff writer for The Dispatch. He is a graduate of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at UNC Chapel Hill, and previously oversaw The Dispatch's fact checking team.
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