--- title: "Fox News Host Tries to Mock Biden By Claiming Webb Telescope Isn’t Real" description: "It appears that until recently, Fox News host Laura Ingraham did not know that the James Webb Space Telescope existed." date: "2023-11-02" modified: "2023-11-02" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/fox-news-host-james-webb" categories: - "James Webb Space Telescope" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "fox news" - "hubble" - "james webb space telescope" - "the digest" --- # Fox News Host Tries to Mock Biden By Claiming Webb Telescope Isn’t Real ![It appears that until recently, Fox News host Laura Ingraham did not know that the James Webb Space Telescope existed.]() *NATIONAL HARBOR, MD - FEBRUARY 26: Radio talk show host Laura Ingraham (R) makes a face as she goes on stage with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (L) for a discussion during the 42nd annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) February 26, 2015 in National Harbor, Maryland. Conservative activists attended the annual political conference to discuss their agenda. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) \Image: Alex Wong/Getty Images\* ## Tangled Web In an attempt to dunk on President Joe Biden, Fox News host Laura Ingraham was forced to correct herself on-air when she learned that the James Webb Space Telescope does, in fact, exist. As highlighted by [extremism researcher Andrew Lawrence](), the embarrassing exchange was spurred on by an entirely different topic as Ingraham and guest Raymond Arroyo discussed Biden's new [executive order on artificial intelligence](). While cutting jokes about the president's own intelligence — a common [smear against the president](), who some conservatives believe is [secretly senile]() — the host actually began to interrupt her guest as he claimed Biden's AI order "stymies American innovation" to take a potshot that, as it turns out, was based on her own ignorance. "Did he call it the 'web telescope?'" Ingraham asked, looking puzzled. "Isn’t it the Hubble? Is he thinking of 'Webb-Hubble?' I don’t understand." For the record: the James Webb Space Telescope, which very much exists, is [much more advanced than the Hubble](), and was launched nearly two years ago on [Christmas Day 2021](). https://twitter.com/ndrew_lawrence/status/1719146091105448304 ## Let the Record Show As the extended clip of the fumble [posted by *The Daily Beast* shows](), Ingraham proceeded to literally lean back with laughter while Arroyo joined in on the fun, responding with a triumphant "who knows?" as the pair cracked up over the president's supposed flub. The producers then cut to a clip of Vice President Kamala Harris — and in those few seconds off-camera, Ingraham was apparently informed of her factual error. "There is a Webb telescope that I didn't know about," the host said, still laughing. "I stand corrected by Joe Biden." "That may be the first and only time that ever happened," Arroyo, who clearly did not want to miss out on the wandering punchline, quipped back. It's hard to tell which is more ironic: that a pair of Fox News talking heads who were complaining about the president tamping down American innovation were apparently unaware of one of the [country's biggest]() and [most innovative space project]() since we landed on the Moon, or that while trying to make fun of the president's intelligence, Ingraham revealed her own lack thereof. Either way, the whole thing is hilariously cringe. And the best part, to our minds, is that on-air correction that's missing from the original viral clip of the video. **More on Webb:** [*James Webb Spots Numerous Pairs of Planets, Hanging Out With No Stars*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()