Trump Attacks Fox News Amidst Midterm Election Setbacks and Ratings Decline
Former President Trump blames Fox News for Republican midterm losses while ratings continue falling.
1Trump Targets Fox News
Former President Donald Trump launched a series of critical posts on Truth Social during the midterm election night. He explicitly blamed Fox News for Republican losses, alleging the network consistently promoted Democratic opposition. This public rebuke marks a significant shift in his historically friendly relationship with the prominent cable broadcaster.
2Midterm Election Results
Democrats secured control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives during these historic midterms. The party successfully flipped seats in states typically favoring Republicans, including Texas, South Carolina, and Kansas. Trump contends that Fox News' editorial choices directly contributed to these unfavorable outcomes for his political allies.
3Declining Viewership Metrics
Fox News reported an average of 1.1 million viewers for October, representing a 27% decrease compared to the same month last year. Trump cited these specific figures as evidence of the network's decline, claiming that viewers are abandoning the channel because of its focus on what he calls deranged Democrats.
4CEO Explains Viewer Fatigue
Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch attributed the viewership drop to general viewer fatigue during the company's quarterly earnings call. Murdoch argued that this trend is expected before midterm elections involving a second-term president. He explicitly stated that these departing viewers are not migrating to rival news networks like CNN or MSNBC.
5Competitor Performance Comparison
While Fox News faces a year-over-year decline, competitors reported different trends. MSNBC and CNN saw double-digit primetime viewership growth in October. Despite this, both networks maintained smaller total-day average audiences than Fox, with MSNBC recording 588,000 viewers and CNN reaching 402,000, according to data cited by the Fox network.
6Financial Performance Resilience
Despite the audience contraction, Fox Corp. reported a strong fiscal first quarter with revenue reaching $4.57 billion, a 22% increase year over year. The company highlighted a 47% surge in advertising revenue, bolstered significantly by political spending and broadcasts of the FIFA Men's World Cup throughout June and July.
7Shifting Media Relations
Trump has frequently criticized media companies he perceives as biased, often targeting NBC and ABC. However, his relationship with Fox News has historically been much closer. This recent hostility is notable given that Trump appeared on the network's Hannity program just one night before the midterm election results were finalized.
8Future Media Dynamics
The tension between Trump and Fox News highlights the volatile intersection of political outcomes and media influence. While the network maintains strong financial health through diversified assets, the loss of core viewers remains a critical challenge. Observers will monitor whether this public rift impacts future political coverage and network loyalty.