The current conservative narrative about critical race theory falsely claiming that the academic framework is “racist,” “Marxist,” and punishes people for being white was launched by Fox News in the summer of 2020. Throughout the rest of that year and into 2021 which coincided with one of the most significant periods of civil rights protest in decades the network repeatedly fearmongered about this decades-old study of systemic racism. The ensuing right-wing panic led to a Trump executive order and Republican bills in legislatures around the country attempting to ban the teaching of critical race theory. In turn, Fox News is now covering the local bills and right-wing outrage as supposed proof that the academic field is controversial.