Fox News relights Christmas tree after arson attack

FOX News Media held a tree relighting ceremony Thursday night, 24 hours after the company's All-American Christmas Tree was allegedly destroyed by an arsonist.

According to The New York Post, the 50-foot artificial tree was set aflame using a burning piece of cardboard. The fire resulted in $500,000 worth of damage.

Craig Tamanaha, 49, a homeless vagrant with a criminal record was arrested at the scene and charged with arson, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and criminal trespass. Like many prolific offenders in New York City and across the country, he was released without bail hours after his arrest.

New York City's Mayor-elect Eric Adams called the Christmas tree arsonist a "picture perfect example" of why the state's judges need more leeway to set bail conditions.

Brian Kilmeade, co-host of Fox & Friends said Thusday morning, "The judge could have found a way to keep him locked up if he felt he was a threat to society."

While some saw the burning of the Christmas tree merely as a criminal offense, Fox News host Tucker Carlson declared it an "attack on Christianity" during his primetime show Wednesday night.

Crowds gathered in Fox Square on Thursday evening to celebrate the lighting of the newly-rebuilt All-American Christmas Tree.

Before the lighting ceremony Steve Doocy, co-host of Fox & Friends said, "We're not going to let one guy with a lighter ruin Christmas."

According to Fox News, "The Five co-hosts Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino, Jesse Watters, Judge Jeanine Pirro and Jessica Tarlov kicked off the event and were accompanied by Cardinal Dolan, Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, Fox News contributor Reverend Jacques DeGraff, and members of the FDNY and the NYPD, both who quickly responded to the arson attack."

After a countdown the tree was lit in Fox Square at Sixth Avenue and West 48th Street. Carolers sang "Deck the Halls" as the crowd cheered.

Gutfeld said during the ceremony, "Even though the arsonist is already out on the streets, probably working at CNN, we want the bad guys to know that you can keep burning down our trees because we're gonna keep putting up another one."

The outlet added that "Lawrence Jones and Abby Horancek, who co-hosted the first tree-lighting ceremony, also returned alongside Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt, Janice Dean, Mike Rowe, Pete Hegseth, Rachel Campos-Duffy, Todd Piro and Carley Shimkus."

Many other Fox News personalities were also present for the ceremony.

"FOX News Media and Fox Corporation made a $100,000 donation to Answer the Call which provides financial assistance to the families of fallen service members of the FDNY and NYPD, the two agencies who responded immediately to the arson incident."

FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott released a statement Wednesday morning which read, "We are very grateful to the FDNY which quickly mobilized to extinguish the blaze and the NYPD which apprehended the criminial onsite who has been charged with arson among multiple other crimes. Our security team also did a great job responding to the incident immediately."

"We will not let this deliberate and brazen act of cowardice deter us. We are in the process of rebuilding and installing a new tree as a message that there can be peace, light and joy even during a dark moment like this," she added.