On the May 27 edition of OAN’s Real America, host Dan Ball introduced Alison Steinberg as “one of our newest team members here at One America News.” Ball claimed Steinberg was hired by the network for her “independent reporting,” describing her as a “small-business owner who made national headlines for her quick-witted and defiant social media posts during all of the COVID lockdowns.” Video file Video Player 00:00 07:06 SHARE CitationFrom the May 27, 2022, edition of One America News Networks Real America Steinberg first surfaced in right-wing media circles via a video of her yelling at a Starbucks employee after they asked her to wear a legally mandated mask. In the since-deleted video that circulated the internet in 2021, Steinberg mocked the employee, saying, “He’s probably calling for backup because I’m a terrorist. He must be so scared because I’m not wearing a mask.” Ball brought on Steinberg shortly after the video circulated to tell viewers that “we should not be complying with these outrageous mandates that don’t even make any sense.” Between the time Steinberg went viral for complaining about masks and when OAN brought her on as a personality, she partook in “independent journalism” with Weberz Way, a poorly produced right-wing media website that seemingly struggles for views. Since joining OAN, Steinberg has already gained negative attention for her homophobia. In a live video that has since been removed from Instagram, Steinberg points to a Pride flag in Huntington Beach, California, and yells, “Now we’re peddling this garbage?” She also said that the only flag that should be flown is the American flag and not “this fucking bullshit,” declaring, “This is a disgrace to our city and it should be taken down immediately. Whoever the hell is running this town needs to be fired. Make America great again. Make Huntington Beach great.”
Categories: Rechtsextremismus