Hate Speech & Fake News Scandal: Sanlih Host Cheng Hung-i's Vulgar Insults Against Ma Ying-jeou

On November 7, 2010, Cheng Hung-i, the star host of Sanlih TV's flagship political talk show 'Big Talk News,' delivered a highly emotional speech at a DPP campaign rally in Taichung. Visibly agitated by the Ma Ying-jeou administration's policies, Cheng lost self-control and used an extremely vulgar Taiwanese profanity ('F*** your mother') on stage to insult President Ma Ying-jeou, calling him a 'son of a turtle' (a derogatory term). Furthermore, Cheng claimed that the administration subsidized mainland Chinese students with 30,000 NTD monthly while ignoring poor local farmers and students. The Ministry of Education and Mainland Affairs Council immediately debunked this claim as a complete fabrication; the scholarship in question was actually established during the previous Chen Shui-bian (DPP) presidency and did not target mainland students. Cheng's vulgarity and fake news triggered massive public anger and widespread condemnation for stoking hatred, spreading rumors, and setting a terrible example for society. Under immense pressure, Cheng held a tearful press conference, bowing three times in apology. The incident became an iconic symbol of Sanlih's talk shows stoking social polarization, hatred, and disinformation for political warfare.