A local television news anchor in Mississippi said he was fired by management after nearly four decades at the station because of a social media post urging supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris to “stay home” if they intended to vote for her.
David “Dave” Elliott, the veteran news anchor at Biloxi’s WLOX-TV — an affiliate of both CBS and ABC — recorded a video message that went viral on X on Wednesday in which he denounced “hatred” for former President Donald Trump as a “sickness.”
“If your hatred for Donald Trump is so strong … that you’re planning to go in that voting booth and vote for Kamala Harris … do yourself [and] do the country [and] do the world a favor and just sit it out,” Elliott said in the video, which generated more than 163,000 views on X as of Monday.
“Stay home. Don’t vote,” Elliott urged Harris supporters in the clip. He ended the message by saying: “This has been a public service announcement.”
Elliott on Friday told his followers on Facebook that he was fired.
“I’m no longer at WLOX as of 10-25-24,” Elliott wrote Friday morning. “The corporation doesn’t like my political views.”
Elliott said he was informed of his termination by Rick Williams, the station’s general manger. The Post has sought comment from WLOX-TV.
“We are unable to comment on personnel matters,” Williams told The Post.
WLOX-TV, which can be seen along the Mississippi Gulf Coast on Channel 13, is an affiliate of both CBS and ABC television. Its parent company is Gray Television.
“X was brought up in the conversation, which lasted only about 30 seconds because I left,” Elliott told the Sun Herald.
“I was like, ‘OK, see ya.’”
Elliott said he was planning to leave the station anyway for another job.
“I was going to leave at the end of the year anyway,” he said.
“I have irons in the fire. Things are going to move at the speed of light. Keep your eyes open.”
Elliott said he didn’t consider his social media posts a breach of ethical journalism that requires him to maintain objectivity.
“I don’t consider social media journalism,” he said. “Social media is a toy. I have fun. I play. I look at it as satire.”
“I get paid for doing television.”