Fox’s Bret Baier Fined in D.C. Phone-While-Driving Stop Amid Trump Crackdown

Fox News anchor Bret Baier was issued a $50 ticket on 19 Aug. after a Metropolitan Police officer saw him using his mobile phone while driving in Washington’s Georgetown neighborhood. Video of the traffic stop circulated widely on social media, showing Baier handing over registration documents before departing without incident. In a statement posted online, the 55-year-old journalist said he had answered a call in his wife’s car and would switch to Bluetooth to avoid future violations. The incident came as Washington experiences an extensive law-enforcement crackdown ordered by President Donald Trump, who earlier this month placed the city’s police under temporary federal control and deployed National Guard units to combat what he called rising crime. District authorities say the operation has produced hundreds of arrests and double-digit percentage declines in several crime categories since 7 Aug.