Is the long-standing love affair between Fox News and President Donald J. Trump hitting some rough waters?
The President said over the weekend that he “was unhappy,” with Fox News, and that “something is going on over there.”
The comments came in response to a question tossed at Trump about the network’s recent survey showing the President losing head-to-head matchups against four of the top Democratic presidential primary candidates. Trump’s full reply to the reporter was “There’s something going on at Fox [News], I’ll tell you right now. And I’m not happy with it.”
The President quickly added that he didn’t “believe” the poll, adding, “Fox has changed. My worst polls have always been from Fox.”
He then went on to complain about how Democrats had barred the network from hosting or televising the party’s 2020 primary debates and signaled a warning about the general election cycle.
“And I think Fox is making a big mistake,” the president said when asked about the polling and the network’s leadership. “Because, you know, I’m the one that calls the shots on that — on the really big debates.”
A New Target?
President Trump railing against the news media is nothing new, but the usually “Trump Friendly” Fox News has rarely been the target of his ire. But, lately, Trump has increasingly lumped in Fox News with the rest of his “enemies” for what he views as unfavorable coverage.
Earlier this year he had admonished his “favorite network” for providing a forum for 20202 Democratic candidates. Trump took jabs at Fox News over the network’s town halls with Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders in April and Pete Buttigieg in May.
The polls in question that caused the current spat between Trump and Fox showed Trump’s approval rating in the low 40s and had him losing by six or more points to Democratic 2020 rivals Sens. Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden.
Of course, Trump questioned the veracity of the polls, but he seemed more upset that Fox had the audacity to report the actual results of its own poll.
The President also teed off on Fox News political analyst Juan Williams, who Trump said, “has never said a positive thing” — following up on a tweet earlier in the day in which he called Williams “pathetic,” “nasty” and “wrong.”
However, like all lovers that have a bit of a falling out, Trump went on to list “his partner’s” good qualities, following up his comments outside of Marine One on Sunday with, “I’m certainly happy [with]– I think Sean Hannity, and Lou Dobbs, and I think Tucker Carlson and Laura and Jesse Watters, and Jeanine. We have a lot of great people.”
Trump has completely lost touch with reality. He is all bluster with no substance. What an embarrassment for the American people.
Maybe the question of the day should be this one. Is FOX NEWS NETWORK looking farther down the Red Brick Road , and maybe thinks President Trump will not get a FORTH TERM ???? Sorry Fox NEWS, you just might , or maybe, should take another look at the Differences between those Idiotic Democratic Candidates and their Promised Freebies that will have to be paid for by Us Disgruntled American Tax Payers and what President Trump has already accomplished in his First Term. Remember this FOX NEWS – There is a little Switch and/or Button on those TV Remotes and the TV’s themselves that are very easy to turn off or change Channels . YOU JUST MIGHT GET TURNED OFF IF YOU QUIT SUPPORTING OUR PRESIDENT OF THESE UNITED STATES. TSgt., USAF Vietnam Vet. & USAF Systems Analyst , Retired.
I stopped watching FOX some time ago, due to them leaning to the LEFT ?
Fox has changed. I am disappointed that Fox hired Donna Brazil after she fed Hillary the questions. Fox has always had high standards. Unfortunately, it no longer holds itself to the standards they held in the past.
I too have seen a shift in the way FNC not only reports on the news and any association with President Trump, but on how its analysis is becoming more liberal in nature. The Five and other topical analysis shows have more liberal participants and they are given more leeway in how they express their views and are given more time in their responses. I am surprised how weak the questioning is between the program guests and the hosts when it comes to challenging what is said. When I was running a Quality Assurance unit for an international IT consulting firm, there is no way I would leave an obvious follow-up question unanswered in order to get to the real cause or solution of a situation. The journalists on these channels, not only on FNC, have no training in investigative questioning or using Socratic reasoning to get to the heart of the mater.
I am becoming more concerned that the once bastion of conservative reporting has changed and I continue to see more of it. It’s alarming. If the Fake News Media across the board can take one side of the political argument, then there should be at least one network – Fox – that takes the other side to protect our freedoms that are threatened by the fascist left. Fair and Balanced? I think not any more.
I used to watch O’Reily and felt that at least we had one guy that wouldn’t take any crap from the lefties he had on his show. Now, Fox has lefties as hosts. Sad.
inits questioning